Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang
by izzzyy
Summary: When Bella and Edward befriend new girl Bree, they're faced with an important question - Can Forks handle the trouble new girl Bree stirs up at Forks High? Very minor sexual violence, major physical violence. AU, vamps.
1. Prologue

_**VERY IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_

_**This story contains rape and sexual assault without much detail. It contains GRAPHIC physical violence. Please do not read if either will make you uncomfortable.**_

_**To MrsKatyCullen, Larin20, and countless others -- thank you. I cannot express how many times I'd have abandoned this project without your input, your support, and your help. **_

_Prologue_

**EPOV:**

Before Bella came along, I floated aimlessly. I drifted from one day to the next, with no discernible end in sight, every day blended into the next. She saved me from a boring existence and swept me into a life less ordinary.

For nearly a week, we'd heard about nothing but the new student, a girl from New Orleans named Bree Gray. It had been eighteen months since Bella had started at Forks High. She was no longer, as Jessica Stanley had so eloquently put it, "the shiny new toy" for people to discuss and analyze. Now, it was Bree's turn to deflect the unwanted attention.

"_Heads up, Edward – new girl's here and she looks sassy and unamused. I'm glad Jasper's not here – I can feel the hostility from a mile away."_ Alice's thoughts drifted to me from the front of the school and I instinctively clutched Bella closer to me.

Bree appeared at the end of the science hallway, dressed all in black with flaming red hair and vibrant green eyes. The echoing clomp of her steel-toed boots was the only sound in a hallway full of students that had literally stopped breathing as she passed.

She looked like one of us, but only human. Her alabaster skin didn't sparkle but it seemed to glow almost as much as her glaring green eyes. She wore pink headphones which wrapped around her neck as if daring someone to make fun of her favorite color.

When I'd met Bella, she had been blank. Her mind a silent void that I couldn't penetrate. The new girl was her polar opposite. In her presence, every mental signal around us was multiplied, broadcast louder than ever before. Around her, Mike Newton's adolescent teenage fantasies became unbearably loud and for the first time in nearly a century, I had a headache.

Bella looked ready to approach her, but I took her hand and pulled her into a half full science class just before the bell. Bella gave me a strange look for two reasons. One, this wasn't our class and two, she was determined to make the new girl's first day experience more pleasant then hers and didn't understand why I hastily pulled her away before she could greet Bree. Bella wanted to keep away the over eager residents of Forks High, but I knew that the well-meaning gift would be misinterpreted and shunned.

"Edward, what are you doing? Come on, Mrs. Goff is going to kill me for being late!" Bella tugged on my hand and I allowed her to pull me down the hallway toward our Spanish class. If we hadn't been in all the same classes this year, I probably would have killed myself from boredom by now. Or asked the Volturi to do it for me.

"¡Usted estas tarde!" Mrs. Goff barked at Bella, completely ignoring me. She had never forgiven me for correcting her questionable grammar my first year here. But she couldn't seem to find a reason to fail me on purpose, so she just pretended that I didn't exist.

"Estamos arrepentidos, Senora Goff," Bella replied smoothly, while I flashed my charming smile. We slid into our seats as Alice glared at us, rolling her eyes. "_New girl gives me a headache, Edward. Have you met her yet?"_she internally complained.

I shook my head slightly, pretending to scribble notes down as Mrs. Goff jabbered on about when to use the predicate tense. Alice's eyes narrowed and unfocused for a second and I saw flashes of Bree as a small child pass through my head. Too low for human hearing, I muttered to Alice, "Did you just see her past?"

Alice nodded, groaning softly. "_It's been happening all day. I can't see any of her future, but I keep seeing her at Christmases, family dinners – even at a funeral." _I frowned, wondering what her vision could mean. Alice had never seen anyone's past before.

"?"

Mrs. Goff picked that time to ask me a question and I lazily answered, ignoring Bella's concerned look. The bell rang after what felt like an eternity, even to me, and we headed to lunch. I quickly filled a tray with food for Bella, though it was enough to feed the three of us, and we sat down at our normal table. We sat at the table silently, Alice and I pretending to eat while Bella picked at her pizza.

"This is ridiculous! What's going on? Is there something wrong with Bree?" Bella could be too intuitive for her own good sometimes.

Alice shot me a pointed look. _"You should tell her Edward."_

"Okay, fine,"I said out loud. I looked over my shoulder to make sure no one was listening as I leaned closer to Bella.

"She's like the reverse of everyone, Bella. I can read her thoughts, but they're reflections of everyone's thoughts around her. Alice can't see her future, but she can see her past. She's not one of us, but she doesn't seem entirely human either." Bella's eyes narrowed as I told her, but she looked more concerned than anything else. I expected her to comment, but she instead trained her eyes just past my shoulder. I leaned back in my chair as I heard the now familiar footfalls of Bree entering the lunchroom.

"Shut up, Edward, she's right there!" she replied through her teeth with a nod of her head. She shyly smiled at Bree who had just entered the lunch line. I turned and stared at Bree for a moment before sliding what I hoped was a welcoming smile onto my face. Just as Bree met my eyes we both recoiled. I felt an internal explosion of sound and I clutched my head in an attempt to silence the voices that were bouncing back and forth.

Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as the connection broke, leaving us both panting. Bree gripped the railing of the food line until Jessica Stanley said, "Move it, freak!" Bree didn't even bother to clear her tray as she staggered toward us. Bella grabbed my face and pulled me close. I felt her concern while she caressed my cheeks. I noticed Alice pulling Bree away from the table, both of them looking like they were about to be sick. Bella and I quickly got up from our table, carrying our food trays, to join them.

Looking around, I was glad that most of Forks High ignored us. Other than the always nosy Jessica, Bella and I were no longer a couple full of novelty. Unfortunately, having the new girl in our vicinity - and Jessica's loud comment - put us back on the radar. The usual suspects were looking at us a bit awkwardly. Bree and I both turned to the table where Jessica, Lauren, Mike, Eric and Tyler sat and glared. Without a word, I dumped the trays of uneaten food and all four of us left the cafeteria together.

I expected Bree to follow us, but she scurried toward the parking lot. We watched her enter a beat up Nissan, locking the doors behind her. Alice, Bella and I hopped into the bed of Bella's truck, ignoring the barely misting rain. I rubbed a hand over my eyes and laid my head on Bella's lap and looked at Alice, who was bent over resting her head on her knees.

"I've never had that kind of 'mental reverb' before," I confessed. Both girls sighed in response. I glanced over at Bree's car, catching her pained and broken expression. For an instant she looked older than I felt. Her red hair fell over her green eyes and she pulled her hoodie closer over her head, snuggling into it for warmth. She tangled her fingers in her loose locks, twisting her tresses frantically.

Alice ran a hand through _her_ hair – a habit I could only assume she'd picked up from me, and one that seemed slightly amusing given Bree's current status — and said, "There's something wrong with her. Like..._really _wrong. She's lived through something horrible and we need to find out what it is."

"I don't know, Alice," Bella countered, her voice harsher than I'd ever heard it before. "She seems pretty normal to me. Just another gorgeous girl trying hard to be rebellious and angry by shunning people before they shun her. I knew dozens of girls like that in Phoenix. They were as bad as the popular girls -- they were just a separate group. It's almost like -" Bella's voice broke off as Alice's eyes glazed over and she shook slightly. Alice opened her mind and let me see her vision.

_Bree was walking in a neighborhood that looked a little ragged. The buildings were covered with spray paint, mostly graffiti and insurance information. I could see there were water marks that told me it was New Orleans, post-Katrina. The dampness in the air and the trees strewn around the street insinuated the storm hadn't been long ago, though. The sky was an ominous gray that made it impossible to tell what time of day it was, but Bree wore a light dress and was sweating slightly. _

_She walked past a group of young guys, mixed races but all exceptionally poor-looking. They hooted at her, yelling vulgar things, but she ignored them and kept strolling down the street. She was thinking about what she'd make for dinner, but she was acutely aware of the footsteps behind her as the boys began following her down the deserted street._

"_Where are you going, sweetheart? Maybe we can make sure you get there 'safely,'" one guy leered as his friends laughed, slowly closing in on her red headed form._

The bell rang loudly signaling the end of lunch but none of us moved. Bella poked me in the ribs, irritated that I hadn't filled her in on Alice's vision.

"I think she was raped," I told Bella in a low voice, "by a group."

Bella's mouth dropped open and she drew a quick breath, looking over toward Bree's direction.

"Well, that's enough to make even the prettiest girls unhappy," Bella muttered, chewing her lovely lower lip worriedly. "Just ask Rosalie."

_**A/N – I originally planned to post this all at once, but my ficsters convinced me otherwise. Please tell me what you think so far. This story is written – I'll get it posted as it returns from the betas. **_


	2. Punch drunk, no love

Chapter 1 – Punch drunk, no love.

BPOV:

It had been a really long week. After our incident in the lunch room with Bree, she avoided everyone like the plague—including us. I understood why, but her tough exterior made me sad for some reason. Maybe I'd been wrong—she wasn't just a bitchy, wannabe popular girl; she was a real girl with real problems and I had misjudged her without getting to know her. I was better than my classmates. After the stress of discussing her past, I was surprised to find myself looking forward to the Friday night party at Jessica's house.

Normally a noisy high school party full of boozed-up, horny teenagers would be my worst nightmare, but lately Charlie had been lecturing me about "living a little" and being a "normal teenager," so I figured I'd give it a shot. When Alice told me that she saw the consequences of my drunkenness and they were hilarious, I made the Cullens promise not to let me do anything too stupid if these events occurred. With that promise and the party, I agreed to bit of binge drinking. What is high school if not an opportunity to act completely out of character? I figured I'd never get the chance again with graduation and my impending "turning date of doom" fast approaching. Interestingly enough, Edward told me he'd always wished that he had tried getting drunk. His admission shook me from my broody nervousness—I'd wanted to be a vampire all along, but now that it was getting close, I was scared to death and human experiences were taking on a new importance.

Edward and I had Chemistry II together for our last class of the day and this afternoon, it was surprisingly amusing. We entered the classroom to find the chalkboard decorated with "Go Spartans!" Then, in honor of the big homecoming game against Montesano, Mr. Monk had us exploring polymer reactions by making silly putty. He told us we would dye it maroon so that we could "beat the Bulldogs" by pulling, breaking and otherwise abusing the silly putty. The project itself was pretty simple and Edward looked bored to tears until Eric Yorkie managed to start a small fire, singeing his eyebrows. I have no idea how he did it—the project involved pouring chemicals from one beaker into another, with no fire even remotely involved—but Eric had a supreme talent for causing trouble without getting detention. I strongly suspected this was the reason he sucked up so much.

We drove to the Cullens' after school. I sighed as I heard Alice singing the school's fight song at the top of her lungs when I entered the house and closed the door behind me. Edward gave me a look that clearly read "she's only doing this to annoy me." I laughed for a minute, but my mirth stopped abruptly when Alice appeared at the top of the stairs carrying a yellow and blue sweater that was obviously meant for me.

"No, Alice," I mumbled, trying hard to put my foot down before she got out of control.

"Yes, Bella. If we're going to play the part of normal high school students, we're going to do it right. Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett even came home from college this weekend for the game." She grinned. I knew nothing I said could deter her excitement.

On cue Emmett appeared behind her, wearing an identical sweater with face paint on his right cheek that said "FHS." I would have laughed if he hadn't looked so utterly disgruntled. I had to remind myself that teddy bear Emmett was still a bear with claws and a vicious bite. I did start laughing when I saw the sweaters were Prada; leave it to Alice to make school spirit highly fashionable. As I walked up the stairs with trepidation, I heard Rosalie calling to me.

"You wear a size seven shoe, right Bella?" I was grateful that Rosalie and I were on better terms, but I knew we'd never really be friends.

"Yes, Rosalie. Why do you ask?" I asked.

Edward laughed and pulled my hands into his—I hadn't noticed I was literally wringing my hands in anticipation of the night to come.

Rosalie exited her closet, her blond hair slightly ruffled, holding a pair of navy blue Jimmy Choo high heels.

"I am not wearing those!" I shuddered at the thought of climbing up the bleachers in three inch heels. I was wearing my navy Converse, as close to school spirit as I'd ever gotten, and I was putting my foot down—literally and figuratively. Rosalie narrowed her eyes at me and I glanced at the floor, preparing to wither under her glare.

Alice came to my rescue, her face going blank for a split second before she gasped and yanked the shoes from Rosalie's grasp and throwing them out of the window.

"Hey, Alice!" Rose screamed, putting her hands on her hips. "Those are Jimmy Choos, dammit!"

"Nope." Alice shook her head. "I don't care if they are Louboutins, they'd get our Bella killed in two seconds flat!"

Emmett let out a booming laugh while Rosalie gaped at Alice. "You could have just told me that. And you're buying me a new pair of shoes. Make that two pairs of shoes—just to make up for this mental distress."

Edward pulled me to his room and started laughing, saying we needed to give Rosalie time to mourn the passing of her gorgeous shoes. I suspected he just wanted me to himself for a moment, and I was pleasantly proven correct when he closed the door behind us and captured my lips with his own.

He ran his hands down my back, and I leaned into his embrace. I was always at my most comfortable in his arms, and I loved how I could feel his cool touch through my clothes. His lips were soft, urgent, and literally took my breath away. I groaned internally as Edward let his hands wander to gently massage my butt, and I held more tightly onto his neck as I let my tongue slip further into his mouth. Edward pulled away, resting his forehead on mine.

"Umm, Bella…the things you make me want to do," Edward whispered in a husky voice.

I grabbed a fistful of hair at the base of his neck and pushed his face closer to mine. "I feel the same way." I breathed against his mouth, darting my tongue out to lick his cool parted lips. This was all the invitation he needed to continue—he pressed his lips roughly against mine.

I was getting lost in our cloud of lust and truly could have spent the rest of eternity kissing Edward, but Alice had other plans.

"Ahem." She coughed.

Alice stood in the doorway to Edward's room tapping her foot. I jumped in Edward's arms and heard a grumble emanate from his chest. I will have to remind Edward that locks serve a purpose.

"Alice can you at least act human and knock," I asked, annoyed that she was interrupting.

She nodded toward Edward and stated the obvious. "He heard me."

"And I ignored you," he said, glaring at Alice.

Ignoring him, Alice turned to me.

"If you could pry your face off of my brother's, I need to fix your hair. It's not going to rain tonight so it'll stay looking cute."

"Alice, get out of my room!" Edward sounded more annoyed than usual, and I could only guess that it had to do with our lack of time together in the face of a long evening of socializing.

"No, Edward. _You_ get out of your room." Alice stuck her tongue out at him and tugged me to the gigantic bathroom. I made Alice move at vampire speed as she styled my hair knowing there was no way I'd be able to sit still for more than an hour after thinking about the kiss that Edward and I had just shared.

We climbed the bleachers to mid-level, and I waved at Jessica, who was sitting by Mike. They'd broken up and gotten back together so many times in the past year that I didn't even pretend to keep up anymore.

The Cullens' reappearance caused a bit of a stir, but the Forks population took it the way they everything else involving the Cullens—they ignored it. The game went quickly and I pigged out on the disgustingly delicious nachos you can only get them from a concession stand. I let the savory cheese sauce run through my fingers as I licked them clean. Edward watched me the whole time with hooded eyes and clenched fists. It was sweet torture, but I hoped it would spur some action later. The rest of the Cullens stared at me and wrinkled their noses disgustedly at my display. When I flicked a jalapeño at Alice, she shrieked louder than the cheerleaders, causing me to burst into uncontrollable laughter while everyone around us covered their ears.

I sent Edward for candy during the half-time show during which (due to a distinct lack of competition) Lauren Mallory was crowned Homecoming Queen. Alice had threatened more than once to place me and Edward on the ballot, but then she got a vision showing her how mad I would be and how long it'd be before I talked to her again, so she grumpily gave up. Another hour dragged on, and Emmett insisted we do the wave ten times in a row even though it was just the six of us participating, the Bulldogs clinched the victory by 64 to 6. By this point, Forks had gotten so used to losing that it hardly seemed to faze anyone. Edward insisted we wait for the traffic to clear up as everyone left the stadium.

By the time we got to Jessica's house, it was completely packed with kids from both schools. I was barely through the front door when I pondered what "urgent business" was important enough for the Stanleys to leave their house unguarded during homecoming weekend. The house was already trashed— mud was caked everywhere, and toilet paper hung from every fixture, movable and immovable alike.

"Wow, Bella! You made it!" Jessica stumbled over to me, somehow already drunk. It was funny; I'd seen her less than thirty minutes ago and she was already bombed. I smiled at her, slightly uncomfortable but determined to enjoy myself at what was sure to be my only unchaperoned high school party.

"Yeah, Jess, I told you I was coming. Looks like half the town is here and half of Montesano, too!"

"I know, isn't it exciting? I hope I have enough drinks for everyone. I think Tyler said he was getting some from his dad's bar, but there are a lot of people here!" Her eyes shone at the prospect of being the popular girl, even if it was directly tied to the amount of liquor available.

"We brought some too, Jessica," Edward said, smiling and gesturing with a large paper bag in his hands. "My mom and dad never drink so they'll never even notice it's gone."

Jessica's eyes widened in delight when she noticed the entire Cullen clan was standing behind us. She smiled as she responded, "That's so great of you, Edward. Do you mind taking it into the kitchen? It looks heavy and I'm sure I'll drop it. You're so strong!" she gushed.

I had to restrain myself from slapping her. Edward's smile hitched and I knew he was probably hearing whatever foul delusional fantasy Jessica was having about him, but he nodded and led the way to the kitchen.

"Bella, I'm going to make this Jungle Juice stuff. I got the recipe off the internet and it sounds pretty yummy," Alice said, pulling ingredients from the bag and rifling through the Stanley's cabinets until she found a huge bowl. "I mean, I don't really remember food and I never tried alcohol, but I read it tastes fruity. Just be careful not to drink too much. I'll tell you when to stop."

As soon as the bowl was full, Alice placed it on the kitchen table next to the large stadium cups and it was empty in ten minutes. Emmett laughed as the other kids staggered away from the bowl while I still nursed my first cup. "And out came the wolves… good thing we brought a ton of stuff, Alice. Good thinking!"

Alice mixed another batch and I took another cup, already feeling slightly fuzzy and warm. We wandered to the back yard and I plopped down on the worn porch swing, laughing at nothing and thinking that maybe this drinking thing wasn't so bad after all. As my eyes adjusted to the dark, I was surprised to see Bree sitting by herself with a red cup and a cigarette.

"Hi!" Alice chirped. Bree's nose wrinkled for a moment before muttering a greeting in return.

"I'm Alice Cullen—this is my family and our friend Bella. You're Bree, right?"

"Yeah…Hi, Alice." Bree tried to smile. It was completely obvious she didn't want to be anywhere near anyone, much less the Cullens, but she didn't say anything else. She lit another cigarette and took a huge gulp of her drink.

"You're from New Orleans, right?" Alice pushed, stubbornly determined to get Bree to talk about herself. "Did you live there until recently? At least it rains there a lot so Forks probably isn't that bad by comparison."

Emmett appeared next to me, holding another cup of punch. He questioningly extended it to Bree. She looked at him, suspiciously. She shook her head at his offer and looked away. He shrugged and handed cups around to the rest of his siblings so they could pretend to drink with us. He set the extra cup on the table next to my swing and took a big "sip" of his drink.

"Sorry, no offense, but I don't accept drinks from people I don't know." She looked at us as if she expected us to argue, but no one did. "And to answer your question, Forks isn't that bad, but it's cold here. I'm not used to anything below 40, and it's not even November yet."

She smiled a little and I was amazed at the light that flooded her face—she looked beautiful and full of life. Still, I couldn't blame her for having a shield up all the time. The girl was jaded, but from what Edward and Alice had told me, she had a good reason.

"That's a good policy, actually. But Esme, our mother, would kill me if I got one for everyone else and not for you," Emmett boasted. His booming laughter spread through the thick air. It seemed to loosen the tension because even Rosalie cracked a smile. Bree giggled and her face lightened noticeably.

"Well, if I ever see her I'll make sure to let her know she raised you right." Bree smiled sadly.

I wondered how many drinks Bree had consumed and if they were already affecting her personality. Then I realized counting my own drinks might be more prudent. Still, whatever caused her to open up a little bit was fine by me. Edward had taught me that you can't, or shouldn't, live life completely closed off from everyone around you and I was still feeling guilty about my initial assessment.

"Edward, can you get me a glass of water? I'm not used to this whole drinking thing," I mumbled, mortified that my speech was a little bit slurred.

Bree climbed unsteadily to her feet. "No, I'll get it. I need some too. I hardly ever drink but my parents decided I needed to act my age and be irresponsible. Does anyone else need water?"

The Cullens declined and I laughed, telling her Charlie had said the same thing to me about acting my age. I was going to offer to go with her but I didn't trust my wobbly legs at the moment and I told her so. She laughed, telling me it was fine and she thought she could find the kitchen on her own, since it was just through the sliding door.

More people had come outside and it was getting a bit noisy, but short of bloody murder or trampling their rosebushes, I didn't think the neighbors minded that much. We were, after all, high school kids being high school kids. Charlie had bored me to tears with stories of "the good old days" when he was unruly and "wild."

Bree came outside with two cups of water and I drank mine gratefully, sloshing some of it onto my jacket but not caring other than the cold. Edward rolled his eyes at me and smiled, pulling off his gray coat and wrapping it around me before kissing me on the cheek. He pulled away, concerned he'd be making me colder, but the alcohol warmed me enough to plant a big smacking kiss on his lips. Edward responded by taking my face into his hands and kissing me fully and deeply.

Jasper snorted. "Give it a rest, you two!"

I blushed a bit but couldn't help the grin that spread across my face.

"Hey, hottie."

Tyler Crowley slid into the seat next to Bree, which was only meant to hold one person. He was now sitting halfway on top of her. From the looks of it, he was completely sloshed. He leered at her, and she pulled her already bulky hoodie tighter and glared at him without saying a word.

"Crowley, get out of here." Emmett growled, picking up on Bree's discomfort.

"What, Cullen? Is Rosalie not enough for you? You two start swinging while you were off at college? Back off, man." Tyler laughed, unaware of just how close he was toeing the line.

"What, Crowely? You can't see how not interested in you everyone is?" Rosalie growled.

I suddenly realized that Edward and Alice had filled her in on the girl's sordid history. I'd noticed Rosalie had been on her best behavior, but I distracted myself by hiccupping.

Apparently I shifted the mood a little because Tyler grinned at me. He leaned over Bree and said, "Hey, Bella! You look trashed!"

I ignored him and took to amusing myself by poking Edward repeatedly in the ribs, where he giggled and twisted, pretending to be ticklish.

"Hey, watch the hands, dude!" Bree's voice caught my attention and I noticed she was now standing up over Tyler, who was slouched sideways cross the park bench they'd been sitting on. She looked annoyed but then very slowly and determinedly poured the cup of bright red punch in her hand over Tyler's head. "Personal boundaries are not optional, kid. If you ever cop a feel again, I'll rip your dick off with my bare hands."

For a moment the crowd was silent, digesting the shocked look on Tyler's face until Rosalie stood up and threw her arms around Bree, who looked fierce. Rose burst into giggles, acting a little punch drunk herself, before adding in Tyler's direction, "I'll be there to make sure you don't enjoy it, Crowley. Now get lost before I kick your ass myself."

The entire crowd burst into laughter, hooting and hollering and cheering on Rosalie and Bree until the girls started striking silly poses. I'd never seen Rosalie act so carefree and I could only guess it had to do with knowing someone who'd lived through the experience that had killed her. Tyler paused for a moment staring down the crowd before he skulked off into the shadows beyond the patio, cursing under his breath and circling around to the front yard.

"Fucking mouth breather," Bree muttered before snatching Edward's still full cup and draining it.

Edward looked bemused at his now empty hand before lowering it to hold mine. I squeezed his hands and stretched my back, leaning up to rest my smiling face on his shoulder.

"Mmm…I like her, Edward. Can we take her home?" I whispered in his ear. He grinned at me, rubbing my back with his other hand. "Charlie won't let me have a pet, but Bree rocks. Or maybe I should get a pet rock and name it Bree!" I giggled as Edward kissed my forehead, and then I glanced up to see Bree, Alice and Rosalie dancing to the music that was drifting out of the back door It sounded like some pop rap song I'd heard on the radio but never paid much notice to.

I swung my legs up across Edward's lap and settled in with another cup of water, grinning and smiling at the crowd around us. I was feeling remarkably affectionate for everyone involved, except Tyler of course. Even Lauren Mallory came up and high-fived Bree, telling her not to take any crap from him.

Everything after that seemed anticlimactic. Cheerleaders from both schools did a few half- hearted cheers in a friendly "competition" and a group of kids from the reservation stopped by. As the festivities were winding down I noticed more people were sipping water and getting ready to make it home by curfew.

Bree finished her drink and climbed to her feet, looking tired but fine. "I've got to get home. I'll see you guys in school on Monday, okay? You Cullens aren't so bad. Thanks for hanging out."

We offered her a ride, but she politely declined, saying it was only a block away and she needed to sober up a little before facing her dad. She gave Rosalie, Alice and I hugs with a promise to get together and go shopping sometime soon, much to my chagrin. I smiled to myself; it's amazing the bonding you can do over alcohol.

Edward half carried me to the car and buckled me into my seatbelt as I yawned. My head and stomach felt fine, but I was more tired than I had expected to be. I insisted we ride with the windows down, so I could wake up a bit and prepare myself to fully enjoy my night with Edward. There was no way I was wasting it with sleep.


	3. The Passion of the Bree

_**AN: Thanks again to MrsKatyCullen, RedSaucy, TheHeartofLifeisGood and the woman that keeps me sane, both in fic and out of it, Larin20. **_

_**This chapter is a lot harder to handle, so please be aware.**_

Chapter 2 – The Passion of the Bree

**EPOV: **

Bella had slept for a few hours when Carlisle called at around nine in the morning. He sounded worried but was too far away for me to read his thoughts.

"Edward, I need you to gather the family, Bella included, and bring them to the hospital. There's been an incident and Chief Swan wants to talk to you and everyone you can think of that was at the party at Jessica's house last night."

"Carlisle, what's –?"

"I'll explain when everyone gets here, Edward. Please just do as I ask and hurry, but make sure you're safe and law abiding." I would have smiled at his reminder to act human, but he sounded anxious and not in the mood for teasing. I wondered if someone was in his office and listening to the conversation, so I decided not to push it.

"Of course, Carlisle. I'll get everyone together and we'll be there in an hour or so. Do you want us to call others?"

"No, Chief Swan has contacted Jessica, Lauren Mallory, Mike Newton and Tyler Crowley. He said he'll interview all of you first and bring in anyone else he sees fit afterward. Make sure to feed Bella some breakfast before you leave – you might be here awhile."

I hung up and gently shook Bella, worry gnawing at my stomach. Something major had happened last night, but I couldn't recall anything particularly noteworthy occurring while we were there.

"Bella, honey?" I jostled her, whispering in her ear. "I need you to wake up and take a quick shower. I'll explain when you're done; I'm going to make you some breakfast." She'd been stirring for a few minutes after I woke her. She got up and shuffled sleepily toward the bathroom without asking any questions.

I sensed everyone in the house engaged in various pastimes. I hated interrupting Emmett and Rosalie especially, but it had to be done. The family quickly gathered in the kitchen with questionable looks. Esme and I bustled around making far too much food for Bella as a way of stymieing our nerves. Rosalie was glaring at me and I quickly dismissed her with a roll of my eyes. I was waiting for the entire family to be together. Once Bella emerged from her shower, smelling like strawberries and dressed in jeans and a button down shirt, I filled them in on Carlisle's call.

"But I didn't see anything, so nothing that bad could have happened," Alice fretted, her hands fluttering across the counter, straightening piles of napkins that were already meticulously neat. Jasper sent a cloud of tranquility through the kitchen, but it barely soothed Alice's anxiety. Jasper frowned and narrowed his eyes, sending a stronger sense of stillness, and Alice finally turned to him and glared. He grinned ruefully before turning his mind to the matter at hand. Bella quickly ate the toast, bacon and eggs we'd made then grabbed my hand and I allowed her to "drag" me to the car.

The drive was quiet except for Bella drumming her fingers on the console of the passenger door. I turned on the radio to ease the tension but she just stared out the window, occasionally biting her already ragged fingernails. I reached out and took her hand, pulling it from her mouth, and she smiled knowingly at me as I mentally cursed Carlisle for not giving me more information.

The small hospital parking lot was nearly full, with several police cars from both Forks and Port Angeles. Charlie was standing outside the main entrance doors and he crossed over to us looking relieved that we were all in one piece. Bella ran up and hugged him, a sign of affection that was completely out of character for both of them, but clearly appreciated on both sides.

"We've gathered everyone in the cafeteria for an overall briefing. It was bigger than any room at the police station, so we figured we'd use some empty rooms here to interrogate people. I'm sorry your dad was so cryptic on the phone, Edward, but I couldn't give any information until we had everyone together."

"I understand, Chief Swan. I'd ask if everything's okay, but I'm assuming that's a pretty stupid question," I responded, holding Bella's hand tightly as we all followed the corridors toward the cafeteria. Charlie half-heartedly chuckled and held the door open as we all streamed into the large, brightly lit room, and I felt a fleeting gratefulness that it wasn't sunny today – something told me a "camping trip" would be no excuse to miss being questioned by the police. We were the last to arrive and sat at the last available table, some of the girls sitting on the guys' laps when we ran out of chairs. The room was packed with students and parents.

"I want to thank you all for being here. In case some of you don't know me, my name is Charlie Swan and I am Chief of the Forks Police Department." Charlie sounded authoritative but approachable, standing at the front of the room where the food was normally served. I glanced around and noted several vaguely familiar faces – mostly kids I didn't know but had noticed around town and at the party last night. "I am Chief Charlie Swan of the Forks Police Department and this is Detective Andy Bronsen and Officer Jenna Wilson from the Port Angeles Police Department. They have kindly offered their time to us, to help us speak to all of you about the party you attended last night at the Stanley residence."

I noticed Jessica cringe, her parents sitting on either side of her and looking supremely displeased. I tried not to smile to myself as she nursed a massive hangover, but it could have easily been Bella who'd had too much to drink, so I focused again on the officers at the front of the room.

"We want to be very clear that we are not pursuing any tickets or punishment for underage drinking. We are overlooking these infractions to encourage all of you to speak to us freely about your observations from last night. We are specifically looking into an argument that occurred on the back porch, though any information on any other incidents are welcome as it may help us determine exactly what happened last night. We will be speaking to each student individually, but everyone has the right to have a parent or lawyer present if they prefer. Please indicate this at the beginning of the interview so we can honor everyone's wishes. Parents, we are also respecting the right to student's privacy, and ask that if they request to speak to us privately that you also respect that."

"Please remain in here so we can find you when we are ready to talk to you. We're having some food brought in to feed everyone lunch because, unfortunately, we may be here awhile. We've also put some movies up here at the front along with some cards and board games in an attempt to keep you entertained, but we apologize – we're all in for a very long and tedious day. I'll start with Jessica Stanley, Detective Bronsen will take Bella Swan and Officer Wilson will take Rosalie Cullen."

Bella squeezed my hand and stood up, determined to set a good example by marching up to the front of the room without tripping. Charlie squeezed her shoulder as Jessica and Rosalie approached the officers. I watched as ach group headed in a different direction to use empty patient rooms for their interrogations. I desperately wanted to follow at least one of the groups and listen in, but Carlisle shook his head slightly and I knew I had to maintain appearances and stay put.

My family and Jessica's friends were among the first few rounds of interviews. I went second, sitting down with Charlie. I was grateful because I could read his mind clearly.

"Edward, thank you for coming in with your family so quickly." Charlie looked down at his hands." And I'm sorry to waste your whole day. I know you and Bella had plans to go hiking."

I could sense his general disbelief but couldn't completely read his thoughts. I tried not to smile – Charlie was very observant.

"It's no problem, Chief Swan. What's going on? I don't recall anything all that outlandish happening at the party last night – did someone have an accident or something?" I restrained my smile at Charlie's perception – Bella and I had planned to spend the day at the meadow, but that wouldn't really require a lot of hiking on her part.

"I'll just be blunt with you, Edward," he grimaced. "A girl was assaulted after the party, in her own front yard. Her parents found her around eight this morning and we're trying to establish a time line." He stopped, looking at me. "Were there any fights or arguments at the party that we should know about?"

_Bree._

She only had to walk a single block and something had happened. I felt a crushing sense of responsibility, knowing I should have insisted on taking her home.

"Well, Chief Swan, Bree Gray – the new girl –and Tyler Crowley had a bit of an argument. She yelled at him for groping her and then dumped a drink on his head. At the time it was pretty amusing – he's always seemed a bit sleazy to me and I took great pleasure in seeing him made the fool."

I hoped he'd take my words at face value, because I didn't want to explain that I'd "listened" to dozens of Tyler's dirtiest fantasies, and _knew_ he was sleazy.

"Tell me more about this girl Bree. I know she's new in town. Bella has mentioned her in passing. Were you all friends?" Charlie wrote down what I'd told him about the fight with Tyler on a fresh sheet of notebook paper, seeming smoothly unruffled, but I could hear in his thoughts that he was concerned with Bree's injuries.

"I wouldn't say we were friends, but we were getting there. She spent most of the party hanging out with me and Bella and my family. She seemed very sweet, though I get the feeling she's been through a lot in life so she has a very tough exterior." I folded my hands in front of me, trying to seem relaxed. "I had a really good time talking with her and getting to know her. She left right as we did and I offered to bring her home but she declined. That would make it about half past one this morning as far as I remember."

Charlie made a note. "Did you see Tyler behaving inappropriately toward her at the party?"

I tried not to smirk. "Well, he was drunkenly leering at her, sitting way too close – practically on her lap, but I didn't see the 'grope' that lead to her screaming at him. It doesn't seem too far-fetched, though. He's never really had much of a concept of personal space, for either gender," I added, raising my eyebrow at Charlie. "He just doesn't seem to understand that you don't have to be in someone's face to communicate."

There. That sounded relatively neutral.

"Were there any other altercations that you know of, Edward?"

"Well, I believe that Jessica yelled at Lauren Mallory for spilling a drink on the rug and kicking a houseplant, but that's all I really remember." I didn't mention Mike Newton and some freshman girl getting it on in Jessica's parents' bed, but I smiled inwardly thinking about it, until I recalled the visuals of Mike Newton naked.

"So this Bree girl publically dumped a drink on Tyler's head and yelled at him, huh?"

"Yeah, she was pretty, uh, vocal about her distaste of his actions. The party cheered her on and Tyler threw a hissy fit but I didn't see him after that. I assumed he just went home, but I can't guarantee that."

"Well, thanks for your help, Edward. Those who have been questioned are eating in the Doctor's lounge,"Charlie paused, putting a hand on my shoulder."You're free to go whenever you like. Please don't talk to anyone about what you discussed here – not even Bella. We're trying hard to make sure that everyone's memories are clear and personal, not mixed and full of gossip." He smiled tiredly and gestured toward the door, but I was all too aware of where the break room was. I went in and immediately took Bella into my arms, burying my face in her hair as I tried not to think about what Bree had been through the night before. Bella was drinking a soda but she quickly threw it in the trash, eager to leave. My family was mostly gone by then but Carlisle was hanging around and I looked at him with a questioning look.

"_Room 314, but make it quick and don't wake her up if she's asleep," _Carlisle said in his mind.

I nodded and took Bella's hand, leading her to the back elevator to avoid running into anyone else who had been questioned.

"Where are we going?" I think Bella had a good idea of who'd been attacked last night, but obviously she didn't know specifics.

"We're going to see Bree. She was attacked last night and I want to talk to her if she's awake. Charlie obviously didn't give me any information but I could hear some of what he was thinking. I think it's bad."

I paused outside Bree's room, listening to her steady breathing and the silence – I still hadn't gotten used to that since there was no one around whose thoughts she could reflect. Bella knocked softly and a scratchy, hoarse voice said, "Come in."

She looked bad. Her face was mostly bruised and there were finger marks around her throat and on her arms, but she didn't seem to have any major or life threatening injuries. A tray with some picked through food sat on a table by her bed, and she had two IV bags that seemed to be feeding her and giving her fluids. All in all, it could have been a lot worse, but that didn't make the truth any easier to swallow.

Bella crossed the room without a word and sat next to Bree's bed, her fingers twitching as she resisted the urge to throw her arms around the poor girl. Her face was somber and drawn, and my heart broke as she struggled not to overstep her boundaries.

"Who did this to you?" Bella whispered, running a hand softly across Bree's forehead to push her flaming locks out of her face.

"Who do you think, Bella? Fucking Tyler. He was waiting for me when I got to my house, sitting in the dark on the porch where I didn't see him." Bree began coughing and pointed to a cup of water on the bedside table, which Bella handed her. I was shocked at Bree's forthrightness, but I think she identified with Bella in a way that I wasn't sure I could understand.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Bella asked as she played nursemaid to someone she barely knew – but we both liked – I kept my eyes off of Bree, determined not to cause her any more pain by reflecting thoughts at her. She smiled at me, also not meeting my eyes, and shrugged.

"Not much I can tell that I didn't tell Chief Swan – your Dad, I'm assuming?" Bella nodded and Bree took another sip of water, seemingly at war with herself about whether or not to talk to two people who were essentially strangers about something so utterly personal. Her desire to vent, to cry and to be understood, won out.

"Tyler grabbed me from behind and covered my mouth. I tried to scream but he hit me in the head with one of my mom's flower pots. Then he ripped my hoodie and was groping me, but I think I kind of zoned out for a minute. My head hurt so much and one of his hands was around my neck. I couldn't breathe and I tried to scream but my throat was just burning."

Bree closed her eyes and a single tear slid down her face.

"I've been through something like this before, after Katrina. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and I was raped by a bunch of guys from a bad neighborhood. I can't believe I was stupid enough to get in this position again. I wish I'd let y'all drive me home. I didn't press charges before, so every single one of those bastards got away with it."

The dam broke and Bree started sobbing, wrapping her arms around herself before Bella reached for her. Bree winced at the touch and Bella moved to back away, but Bree's internal war was over. She grabbed Bella, burying her head in Bella's chest. I tried to walk at human speed to Bree, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. I'm not entirely sure why I felt so protective of Bree – I think I saw a lot of the things I loved about Bella in this broken girl, and I hated Tyler Crowley for hurting her further. I finally spoke.

"This is _not_ your fault, Bree. You are not at fault for what he did to you. It is not your fault that Tyler is a vile and disgusting excuse for a human being. I've worried that he'd hurt someone for a long time and I never stopped it. I should have thrown you over my shoulder and taken you with us, but I didn't. And all we can do now is try to see justice served, and see you healed, inside and out."

She shook harder and took one of my hands in hers. We both stiffened at the contact but blocked it out, ending with the three of us holding hands in a little circle. I clenched Bree's hand and thought, _"Can you hear me?"_ but she didn't respond. My own thought was mirrored in my mind but I found, with a little work, that I could keep the noise to a dull, manageable roar. I was still surprised that Bree was talking to us, but I knew she probably had no one else her age to talk to, and Bella and I were glad to fill that role.

Bree looked up at me with big eyes. "What are you, Edward? You're not human. You and Alice make my head hurt…" Bree's voice trailed off to a whisper. My breath caught in my throat as I tried to formulate an answer. Before I even realized it, the words had slipped from my lips.

"Neither are you."

We all stared at each other for a moment. Bella was looking incredibly worried about the possible "security breach," but I felt a little comforted knowing that Bree wasn't exactly normal.

"I am human, Edward. This only happens around you and Alice… but I know you probably can't tell me the truth, yet. I'll figure it out someday, Edward. And when I do – you'll still be my friend."

She paused for a minute, then shook her head, changing the subject abruptly.

"Dr. Cullen said that he doesn't think Tyler raped me, but there are bruises on my thighs that show he certainly tried. I wasn't going to press charges – I don't remember so much of it, and I didn't want to deal with all of it – but then this morning Lauren left a message on my cell phone telling me what a slut I was and that she can't believe I fucked him after making such a public scene. She said everyone's talking about what a whore I am." Bree choked on the last few words before breaking down again. I had to focus on loosening my grip on her hand so I wouldn't break any bones.

"If I hadn't been drunk I would remember. If I hadn't been drunk, he might not have been able to sneak up on me. All his friends are on his side and talking about how awful I am right now and Lauren said he told her I was a terrible fuck." By the time she finished, Bella was sobbing with her and I could do nothing but shake my head.

Carlisle hesitated at the door, as his thoughts broadcasted extra loudly in my head. I looked at the girls and patted their backs, calling, "Come in, Carlisle – we were just having a chat."

Carlisle entered the room with his head bowed. I knew he'd heard at least part of what Bree had said. "Miss Gray, I just wanted to check on you. Chief Swan has finished his questions and would like to speak with you about whether or not you want to press charges. Do you mind if Bella and Edward stay, or would you rather talk in private?"

Bree gripped Bella's hand tighter, pulling her down forcefully until Bella was seated on the side of her bed. I hovered for a moment, until she said, "Please, Dr. Cullen – let them stay." I sighed and smiled sadly before perching myself on the chair near the head of her bed as Carlisle remained standing between the bed and the door.

He paused for a moment and bit his lip – something I'd never seen Carlisle do before. "Bree, please forgive me for speaking personally, since I am your doctor, but I seriously hope you consider pressing charges. The bruising shows a very violent attack and I cannot, in good conscience, encourage you not to seek justice against your attacker. If someone had attacked any of my children, I would fight with everything my family had to see that person put in jail. You have power here and I really hope you think carefully before dismissing any legal action."

Bree stayed silent, but nodded, and I could tell she was touched by Carlisle's words. He checked her chart before stepping around me to slightly adjust the drip of the IV. "Do you feel up to speaking to Chief Swan now, or should I tell him to come back in a few hours? Please do whatever makes you feel most comfortable."

Bree looked thoughtful and then sighed. "I want to see my mom and then I want to talk to Chief Swan. I want to press charges, but I want to talk to Mom first. I want her to be with me when I talk to him, if that's okay?" Her voice held a question, but her eyes were clear.

I sighed with relief, glad she was facing all of this head-on. Carlisle felt the same way and he responded, "Of course she can be with you, Bree. No one wants to make this any harder on you than it has to be. You can have anyone you want there with you."

Bella and I stood, silently assuming that Bree would want to relay the story to her mother alone, but we told her we would wait in the waiting room in case she wanted us around later. I led Bella back to the nurse's lounge, which was empty, and took her in my arms, sitting her on my lap as she started to cry again. I felt everything she felt – anger, sadness, hopelessness, all swirling together around us. We sat together for an hour, her crying for Bree and me trying to control my desire to kill Tyler Crowley. The human race had enough to deal with without people like him victimizing others.


	4. Fast Times at Forks High

Chapter 3 **Fast Times at Forks High**

**BPOV:**

On Monday morning my alarm went off at six like always, but it felt much earlier. I'm not usually one to loaf around in bed, but it took me a good twenty minutes to throw off the covers and stagger toward the shower. The hot water woke me up a bit, and by seven I was downstairs making Poptarts for breakfast. Edward came in, looking surly but before I could ask him what was wrong, the sun broke through what were supposed to be impenetrable clouds. No Edward at school today, and my expression was suddenly an almost exact reflection of his.

I wish I could have skipped with him but if I skipped every time the Cullens did, Charlie would kill me and I'd fail out of school. My grades were good, but obviously not as good as theirs – I didn't have a photographic memory and it wasn't the five billionth time that I'd heard everything.

"It's okay, I'll come over after school and we can go to the meadow, if you want." I popped a waffle in the toaster, ravenous for some unknown reason, as Edward rolled his slightly dark eyes.

"Of course I want you to come over, Bella. I think Emmett and I are going to hunt locally today – I'm not all that thirsty but it's a good way to pass the time until I can see you again." He waved his hands dramatically and I giggled as I nibbled on the waffles, skipping the syrup.

I kissed Edward goodbye, almost not leaving until he pulled away and pointed wordlessly at the door, grinning. I climbed into my truck for the first time in what felt like forever, grumbling under my breath about the way kissing Edward still made my head spin. The drive to school was uneventful and Mrs. Weber, Angela's mom, waved at me as I rumbled past noisily.

I parked in Edward's normal spot, gathered my books and trudged toward English, my first class on Mondays, willing the day to go by quickly. I saw Bree in the hallway and noticed people were avoiding her like the plague. I threw my books into my locker and stalked across the hallway, pausing in front of her before throwing my arms around her in a huge hug and glaring at everyone in the vicinity. People are so petty, and none of this had anything to do with them anyway. Lauren stared daggers at me but didn't say anything and I walked Bree to Spanish, her first class of the day.

I was almost late for English but I hustled and walked into the door just as the bell rang. I took my seat and sighed at the empty one beside me, ignoring Lauren muttering under her breath. Mike looked really uncomfortable with whatever she was saying but I opened my copy of Camus' _The Plague_ and pretended to pay attention to what Mr. Berty was saying.

Was the clock moving backwards? It sure felt like it.

At lunch, I skipped Jess and Mike's table, avoiding Lauren, and plopped myself down at a surprised Bree's table. "Bella, hi," she said, sounding nervous. She looked like she wanted to tell me to go away, and I would have, but I was taking a stand on her behalf by sitting with her. I was telling the entire school that I was on her side, that she wasn't alone and that what Tyler Crowley did was not okay in any sense. Her face looked better today but I could see her sweating slightly because she wouldn't take off her long sleeved shirt, probably covering the bruises on her arms.

"I'll go if you want, but I'm not letting you go through this alone if I have anything to say about it, Bree. What he did was not acceptable and it was _not your fault._" I hissed the last bit without really meaning to, but I was so angry at how my classmates were treating her, especially people I thought were decent like Mike and Jessica. Without a word, Angela stood up and carried her lunch to our table, smiling shyly at Bree and began eating again. My heart warmed, and if it were possible, my opinion of Angela got even higher. Bree smiled back and looked at the table and we ate in silence, the entire cafeteria filled with ominous whispers around us.

The day dagged on as normal, and I'd stuck around after school for about 20 minutes helping Angela pack her car with some things that had been donated to the Port Angeles homeless shelter. She'd really gone out on a limb for Bree today, and a lot of people were either ignoring her or talking badly about her, just like me. Neither of us cared. In a few months, we'd be off to college and Angela and I talked about how glad we were to be escaping the small town life, as well as the high school mentality. I was really hoping some of our classmates would grow up, but I wasn't holding my breath.

When I got to Edward's, I was surprised to see Bree's ancient silver sedan sitting in the driveway. Edward met me at my truck, no doubt alerted by the noise, and explained that after a family meeting that afternoon – led by Rosalie of all people – the family had decided to enlighten Bree on the finer, and lesser known, points of being a Cullen.

"It's because of you, Bella – you proved that certain humans can truly be trusted with our secret. We never would have believed it if you hadn't figured it out on your own. She already knew we were different, but you showed us it's okay to trust people sometimes."

I couldn't say I was shocked – Carlisle had expressed an interest in discussing Bree's obvious talent, but I was a little jealous to see Rosalie had warmed to the new girl in ways she would never warm to me. I smiled, glad that I was now sharing the secret with another human, and proud that my trust had subtly changed the way the Cullens felt about secrecy.

Edward led me to the living room where Bree sat asking the Cullens every question she could think of and I couldn't help but laugh, thinking about myself when I'd first learned the truth. Edward stopped me before we entered the doorway, giving me an extra hug and holding me in his icy, yet wonderfully comfortable, arms.

"Bree told us what you and Angela did for her today at school. I'm not surprised in the slightest, but I'm very proud of you. It was killing Alice not to be able to be there to show her own support, but no one can change the weather. At least, not that I know of." He grinned and I took the opportunity to pull him down for a quick kiss, glad that the redheaded girl had something happy to report after all she'd been through. Edward pulled away before I could lose my train of thought and I found myself frowning and feeling slightly ridiculous because of it.

"It was a rough day, but she's tough. So is Angela, and I guess I am too. Wrong is wrong, no matter how you slice it, and I was glad to be there for her. I wonder what'll happen to Tyler, though," my voice trailed off and I noticed the quiet from the living room. I poked my head in the door, blushing as usual. "Oh, well, uh, hi everyone." I laughed at myself and then looked at Bree, hoping that mentioning Tyler wasn't a huge taboo. She didn't look angry, just thoughtful.

"I'm not sure," Alice said. "Nothing's been decided and there are plenty of people who want to believe he's a good local kid who would never do anything like that." She glanced apologetically at Bree, but Bree was nodding in agreement.

"Really, if it hadn't happened to me, I'd probably think the same thing. I thought he was an idiot, not a predator. I feel like I should be seeing people more clearly, given my history, but I really can't bring myself to live a life full of suspicion and hatred. I just can't."

Rosalie cleared her throat. "And you shouldn't, because I've lived enough of that life for the both of us. Brooding, revenge...none of it changes what happened, Bree. Nothing takes it away, but you are facing your attacker, and everyone else in town, and that's the bravest thing I can imagine. I thought killing Royce and his cohorts would make me feel better, but now I wish I'd seen him rot in prison."

Emmett put his arm around Rosalie and I smiled at his protective streak. I wondered if Bree was feeling alienated or lonely in a room full of matched up couples so I sat next to her on the couch, pulling Edward down with me. We were all sitting in a kind of heap, a sort of dog pile on Bree, but she grinned.

"So, what do you think of the 'big truth,' eh Bree? That's what I call it. It's pretty cool, eh?" I asked, nudging her.

"I have to say I knew something was up, if only by the massive headache I got every time I looked at Edward. I think we've all learned to block it now, though, and Alice was telling me she sees my past instead of my future. That's kind of a bummer, though – I wouldn't mind a heads up on what the hell I'd be doing with my life, but I haven't decided so she wouldn't see anything anyway, I think..."

I found myself grinning like an idiot, glad that I was no longer the only human member of the family.

"What?" she broke off, suddenly self conscious.

"Nothing. You're just so like me, it's funny. I feel like I have a sister that was lost at birth." She smiled and ruffled my hair and I saw Carlisle and Esme exchange a look of pure adoration. Esme was clearly exultant at the thought of her family growing even more, and I had to agree with the excitement. Bree asked a lot of the same questions I did and they discussed her power at length. Bree could hear thoughts like Edward, but unlike Edward her talent seemed to involve negating the other talents around her – it even worked with Jasper.

"We should get the Denalis down here and see what Eleazar says," Emmett suggested, and the whole family began talking at once, excited by the idea. I liked the thought too – though I'd heard about the Denali coven, I hadn't met any of them. We'd discussed visiting Alaska next summer after graduation, but I was still undecided about where I was going to college and I thought I'd probably get a job somewhere nearby and work for the summer to save money. Bree looked apprehensive when Edward explained Eleazar's talent – sensing the talents of others.

"But doesn't that mean that, by assumption, he won't be able to get a read on me?" She bit her fingernail absentmindedly, and I noticed that after the stressful weekend she'd nearly chewed them to bits already.

"Yes," Jasper answered for the group. "Still, it's good to see what he reads off you – if anything – and we haven't seen them since the summer. It's rare that we go this long without seeing them, but we've actually stuck to the school thing and one thing or another has kept them from visiting on holidays. It only takes us a couple of days to run there, much less drive."

Bree's ears perked up at that, and she launched into a conversation with Emmett and Rosalie about driving tricks, asking whether they could teach her to drive like a real drag racer. I took the moment to snuggle into Edward's arms, feeling unusually tired again. Perhaps the stress of Bree's situation was taking more of a toll on me than I'd realized. I asked Alice what the weather was going to be like tomorrow, crossing my fingers for rain or even snow.

"Sorry, Bella – it's going to be sunny again tomorrow and Wednesday. The next couple of weeks are looking pretty dreary, but I wish I could be at school with you." She sighed, looking unusually somber. "Lauren Mallory is going to make the next week or so hell for you guys and Angela. She still has some lingering feelings for Tyler and is feeling a little rejected that he isn't after her, which of course translates to her being nasty."

I laughed weakly, but knew she wasn't kidding. It was not going to be a fun few days.

---

**OCTOBER 31**

"Hey Edward, do you think dressing up for Halloween will cheer Bree up? The trial starts soon and she seems kind of down."

"Emmett, are you wearing underwear on the outside of your pants?"

"Yeah, I'm dressed as Quailman!"

"Get out of my room."

**NOVEMBER**

**_"All in November's soaking mist_**_  
_**_We stand and prune the naked tree,_**_  
_**_While all our love and interest_**_  
_**_Seem quenched in the blue-nosed misery."_**_  
- _Ruth Pitter,_ The Diehards_

"_The gloomy months of November, when the people of England hang and drown themselves."__  
_- Joseph Addison

**DECEMBER**

_"It's all a farce, – these tales they tell  
About the breezes sighing,  
And moans astir o'er field and dell,  
Because the year is dying."  
-_ Paul Laurence Dunbar,_Lyrics of a Lowly Life_

**JANUARY**

"Happy New Year, Bella!"

"Dad, get out of my room."

**FEBRUARY**

"Happy Valentine's Day, Bree!" Alice's happy voice rang through the air of the crisp, clear Saturday.

"Alice…I love you."

"Aw I love you too, Bree! We sho-"

"Get out of my room."

**MARCH**

_My last walk in the trees has come. At dawn  
I must return to the trapped fields,  
To the obedient earth.  
The trees shall be reaching all the winter.  
__-_ Robert Bly,_Solitude Late at Night in the Woods _


	5. Who didn't Frame Tyler Crowley?

**A/N: Once again I tried to flounce epically on myself, but my friends wouldn't let me. Instead, I finished it and you get the rest today. As always, a thousand thank yous to Larin20. She wouldn't let me leave you guys hanging.**

**It's rough going, kids. Be prepared. **

**PLEASE listen to the playlist. Believe me when I say it makes a huge difference. Link is on my profile.**

Chapter 4 - "Who (didn't) Frame Tyler Crowly?"

**EPOV:**

Ah, April Fool's Day – the day of the year where humans are all allowed, nay, _encouraged_, to lie to each other in the name of "humor." More importantly, today the general population of Clallam County expects to hear the verdict on the People vs. Tyler Crowley. School was unofficially canceled, which was just as well – every single high school student was wrapped up in the case, with several dozen students currently lunching at various locations around the County Courthouse in Port Angeles.

"The jury's still pretty much split," Alice fretted. The city prosecutor had made a motion to have the case heard in Seattle, because he was worried that a small-town jury would favor the accused, small-town Tyler, who many still thought would never do such a thing. Unfortunately finding an alternate venue that suited both parties proved to be a much larger problem than anyone anticipated, and the defense eventually won out, citing the need for a speedy trial so that Tyler could make plans for college after he was acquitted. They seemed confident that he would be college bound by graduation and Alice couldn't tell us one way or the other, yet. The police hadn't found much physical evidence at the crime scene except a partial finger print on the flower pot that had been used to hit Bree in the head. The partial print did lean suspicion toward Tyler, but didn't have enough matching points to be ruled official. The case was purely circumstantial and it boiled down to a classic case of "he said, she said."

"Jurors one, four, five and eight keep changing their mind every two seconds. It's driving me insane!" Alice tore the napkin, she'd been toying with, in half and the cashier in the courtroom cafeteria eyed us warily. Most of the food we'd bought lay untouched on the table, but I can't imagine that was all that rare in this place – these tables had probably seen plenty of people worrying over verdicts. Jasper took Alice's tiny hands in his large ones, enveloping her own. He was glad to be away from the emotional climate of the court, though our family had its own worries. He'd been forbidden to use his powers in the courtroom itself, because Carlisle worried that it would be unfair to exert undue influence on the judicial process. Bree had been an angel – she testified on the stand for almost a full day, both about her experiences with Tyler and her experience in New Orleans. Other than a few moments of tears, she was so collected that we all accused Jasper of breaking the rules. Of course he hadn't, and I knew he hadn't, but I was just completely in awe of how well my newest "little sister" handled things.

In the past five months, Bree had become as much a part of our family fabric as Bella, but she'd remained particularly close to Rosalie. I couldn't complain – as Rosalie helped Bree deal with her own situation. She had also approached Carlisle as a "therapist" of sorts to discuss what she could remember of her own incident, and everyone, especially Bella, had noticed a marked difference in her attitude.

As we lay in bed one night at Charlie's house, Bella summed it up - "I've always known people say therapy goes a long way, but I never thought back about what it would be like to not completely remember, or to be from a time when therapy wasn't really an option. I can't say we'll ever be best friends, but I get Rosalie a bit more, now."

I agreed wholeheartedly, glad to see Rosalie finally finding some peace with her lot in life, or unlife, and resenting Bella less for her humanity and her desire to join the family, literally. Rosalie was hoping that Bree would want to join us after high school, but the subject hadn't been openly discussed yet.

Alice slammed her first onto the table, barely avoiding splintering the top. "It's too close and Mr. Beck knows it. They're offering him a deal." Rosalie growled and shot up out of her seat, the chair crashing into the wall behind her. Carlisle grabbed her hand before she stomped off, and Jasper sent out a cloud of tranquility so strong it nearly knocked me over. Bella immediately smiled a dopey smile before glaring at Jasper.

"A bit much, Jasper." I laughed at her low tone and Jasper grinned ruefully.

"Sorry Bella, but at least Rosalie hasn't murdered everyone in the building yet."

"Okay, that's a good point." Without saying much, Bella took a half step behind me and I would have smiled if Alice's eyes weren't so narrowed.

"Back to the courtroom. They gave him a deal but the judge still hasn't decided on sentencing. Tyler will plead guilty to sexual assault because they agreed to drop the two attempted rape charges," Alice told us as her vision ended. She didn't have to tell us more. Well all abandoned our uneaten food and left. Even Carlisle was having trouble maintaining human speed as we walked toward the elevators, and we arrived at the doors just as they were being opened to end the recess.

It took about ten minutes for the courtroom to fill again, and Tyler's section, with stupid Jessica Stanley, Lauren Mallory and Mike Newton talking loudly about how Tyler would never do something so horrible, were now holding glittery signs with Tyler's name on them. I rolled my eyes and tensed, trembling, next to Bella who held my hand and tried to soothe me.

Once the doors were closed, the two lawyers stood at the tables at the front of the room. "Your Honor," Mr. Beck, the prosecutor, began. "The defendant has accepted a plea deal and has changed his plea on the sexual assault charge to guilty. All other charges are to be dropped as a stipulation of this plea."

The judge frowned, nodding slowly. "Mr. Crowley, you have changed your plea of sexual assault to guilty?"

Tyler, in a black suit and trying to look appropriately somber, said "I have, your honor."

The judge continued. "The conditions of this deal require that you register as a sexual offender each time you move for the next ten years. Do you understand this?"

"I understand, your Honor." Tyler's mouth twitched, and I could tell he was displeased, but he was facing jail time if he didn't agree.

"You will be on probation for a term of no less than five years. If any other incidents arise, you will be considered in violation of your probation and may be subject to further legal action. Please see the bailiff to make arrangements for a probation officer, Mr. Crowley. Court is adjourned."

He banged his gavel and I looked up in time to see Tyler glare at Bree, who was seated in the front row. She stood and lifted her head high, glaring right back but not saying a word. Alice had dressed her in a Prada skirt suit and heels that made her at least three inches taller, and surprisingly Bree hadn't argued or tottered in the heels at all. She was fierce and she wanted the world to see that she was more than just a victim.

Tyler moved toward the police officer at the side of the room and Bree practically skipped up to the family. We both recoiled as our thoughts clashed, but then put up our mental shields. It still, after all these months, wasn't yet a habit, but we were getting better.

Bree's parents followed quietly behind her and I was struck by how utterly bland they looked. We'd only met them once, and they never showed any emotion about anything – Bree, each other or the court's decision. Jasper thought directly at me: _"It's like they're dead inside. There's nothing there. Just pure emptiness…and it really creeps me out."_

I nodded to let him know I agreed with him and we made our way toward the door, the large group shifting into smaller ones, Alice chattering a mile a minute at Bree, who just looked bemused. We'd all made plans to go to the University of Alaska together after graduation and Alice had convinced Bree to live in our house in Fairbanks. We were leaving to head to Denali in the morning – our present to ourselves to celebrate the end of the trial and see the rest of our family, as well as have Eleazar test her powers. Bree smiled at me and took my hand and I felt the silence envelop me. We'd recently discovered that when she touched any of us, our powers were calmed. They were still there, but they were easier to control. In my case, touching Bree meant it was easier to mute the thoughts around me. Conversely, I had more trouble tuning in to people's thoughts, so if I was listening hard for a specific thought, it was easier if we didn't touch. I enjoyed the quiet almost as much as I'd enjoyed meeting Bella's silent mind when she'd first come to Forks.

The drive back to Forks was quiet. Alice and Jasper rode with Bella and we didn't talk much. Jasper looked utterly exhausted after the emotional day and Alice stared out the window, her face blank. Bella took my hand and held it in both of hers, leaning back in her seat and closing her eyes. Tunng played softly on the radio and she bobbed her head to the beat, sending waves of her scent floating through the car. I inhaled deeply, smiling to myself, as we reached the city limits.

We drove through town and to the diner where Bella had told Charlie to meet us. Every so often the entire family went to dinner together to look normal, though Rose bitched for days about having to purge the food later. Esme said it was important that we include Charlie in our family, because he'd be my father-in-law someday. Bella blushed every time someone said that around her, which made me laugh. We'd already had a big argument about when we would get married – she wanted to wait until she was older, but I could do it tomorrow and be happy. Not that Alice would let me sneak off and get married tomorrow, but still – a guy can dream.

Charlie had worked through most of the day after three days of intensive questioning on the stand at Bree's trial. He looked tired, but smiled genuinely when he saw us. Charlie was finally getting used to our family and getting past the automatic "run away" vibe that humans felt around us. Angela Weber and her parents joined us and we took up most of the restaurant's seating.

It wasn't exactly a celebration – I knew we'd all hoped to see Tyler face some jail time for what he'd done – but I think we all knew it was a long shot. He had a clean record and even making him register as a sexual offender was a huge win. Bree looked happy enough, but tired. Jasper told me he could tell she hadn't been sleeping but everything else was blocked.

After a good natured argument about who would pay the check, Carlisle convinced Charlie that he could treat next time.

"Goodness, is it nine o'clock already?" Esme asked, deciding to act maternal, "We need to get home. We've all had a long few days and you kids need rest before our trip tomorrow."

Emmett playfully put up a fight, but she gave him a withering look and he pouted good-naturedly before we all piled out the door and into our respective cars. I kissed Bella goodbye and shook Charlie's hand, deciding to purge my hamburger while I waited for Charlie to fall asleep. Bella looked like she wanted to argue, but she knew I'd be there in an hour or two.

After purging, Jasper and I went hunting. I could tell he was exhausted and needed to get out, even though neither of us was particularly thirsty. We tracked a large heard of caribou – which are rare in the area but slightly more appealing than deer or moose – taking down several of them. Jasper still seemed restless, but his thoughts were vague. We didn't speak, but he felt my sympathy and knew I was willing to listen if he had anything he needed to say. I rarely envied Jasper – the emotional climate was so volatile that it's a wonder he hadn't gone completely insane. His thoughts drifted to Alice as we ran home, and I gave him a bit of space, physically and mentally.

I changed clothes quickly before running out the door. Bella was already in her pajamas when I got to her house, sitting in bed with a copy of _Vurt._ After several spirited arguments about whether or not the Classics were the epitome of good literature, I'd begun providing her with contemporary literature I thought she'd enjoy. She smiled when I climbed through the window, placing the book on her nightstand before crawling toward me on the bed. I wrapped my arms around her wordlessly and kissed the top of her head. She was exhausted, so I picked her up gently and tucked her under the covers, settling beside her. It was one of those nights where nothing needed to be said and we just enjoyed the silence as she drifted off to sleep.

"I spy with my little eye…"

"I swear to God, Alice, I love you, but I am not above tearing you into pieces and not putting you back together until we get there."

Alice had been at it for hours. I'd originally offered to fly with Bella and Bree to Denali, but Alice had thrown a fit, insisting that the entire family take a road trip together because "it's what humans do." Bree tried to explain that nearly everyone flew long distances these days, but Alice would not be deterred. So the day found all nine of us in a newly purchased Suburban, with luggage piled on top, driving too fast for humans but not fast enough to escape the awful car games.

"Oh shut up, Edward. I'd still be able to _talk _so you wouldn't get anything accomplished! Anyway, I spy something green." She stuck her tongue out at me, sitting with Bella and Bree in the very last seat in the back. I scowled.

"A tree, just like every other time, Alice. This is so mundane."

Carlisle rolled his eyes at Esme, but didn't say a word. He was driving and he'd already reprimanded us a dozen times knowing that it would do no good. Esme smiled indulgently, laughing softly as Alice crossed her arms in a huff and Jasper put his arm around her. I sighed and squeezed Bella's hand, smiling at Bree who was drifting in and out of sleep despite the noise, until Emmett piped up.

"Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall. Ninety-nine bottles of beer…" he trailed off when Rosalie reached over and smacked him, but the damage was already done. The song was planted in all of our heads and we all started grudgingly humming at the same time. Bree woke up, glared at the car in general, and pulled her hoodie over her ears.

Three hours later, Alice was still gloating about winning the license plate game as we approached the Canadian border. Only a few more hours and I would have a chance to stretch my legs and see my extended family. I hadn't realized how much I missed them until we got close – my own self-centeredness bothered me, but I felt whole with Bella.

"Edward! I need you and Bree's passports, son." Carlisle's bemused voice broke me out of my reverie and Bella gave me a smile. Bree was still asleep, snoring softly, so I dug her passport out of her bag. Alice kicked Emmett, seeing a vision that he was about to tell the border patrol officer that he was going to Canada to smuggle cheap prescription drugs back into the US, and I stifled a groan.

The rest of the trip passed quickly once we started playing "Who Would You Rather," which was actually fun, because we all started confessing attractions we'd probably never think about otherwise. Bree admitted she'd do the Skipper before Professor Howell on Gilligan's Island simply because she has a thing for uniforms. Carlisle told us he'd always had a thing for Mrs. Brady. Rosalie informed us that Emmett found football uniforms sexier than cheerleading uniforms, but only if she was the one wearing it.

By the time we pulled up to the Denali house, we knew even more about each other than before, but we were all laughing. Alice ran and gave Kate a hug, but Bree hung back, looking a little apprehensive. "Don't worry, Bree, you're safe – it's only human men that Kate, Tanya and Irina seduce!" Everyone started laughing and Bree came to meet everyone, looking a little chagrined. Eleazar came outside, looking at her curiously, and we all waited eagerly to see what he'd say, without even bothering to introduce them.

"She's a mirror. I've only ever see one before and never in its human incarnation." He glanced at Bella, still looking surprised. "You didn't tell me your girlfriend was a shield, Edward."

Carlisle was the first to recover from the shock. "A shield? But everyone's abilities work on Bella except Edward's. How can she be a shield?"

"She's blocking me now, but I am guessing she's a shield. Bree is sending my signals bouncing all over, but Bella's like reading dead air. I can only speculate that she is a mental shield but not a physical shield. I don't know how to test that, though." He smiled kindly at Bella, but I wasn't surprised – I'd always known she was special.

"But Jasper and Alice's powers work on Bella – how could she be a shield?" Jasper nodded, sending out a puff of amusement just to prove the point. Bella started giggling before she glared at Jasper, ruining the effect by smiling.

Eleazar laughed for a moment as well before looking thoughtful. "Bella has not met any other vampires, right? I think she is a mental shield – I cannot be sure because she's still blocking me, but Jasper's talent is physical-based. It seems that she can block mental talents but not physical ones. Because Alice's talent is neither mental nor physical, it generally cannot be blocked." Eleazar turned back to Bree, extending his hand. She took it tentatively and he visibly relaxed.

"Yeah, she's a mirror. Aro would have a fit if he found out about her and probably insist on turning her immediately. The only other mirror we've ever known was instrumental in helping the Volturi overthrow the Romanians. Without him, our society may have turned out completely different."

We were silent for a minute, all of us mulling over possibilities of Bree's gift before Tanya slapped me on the shoulder. "Edward, you are so rude – not only did you not introduce Bree, we haven't officially met Bella!" I pulled Bella tighter to my side as she blushed scarlet, but smiled. Eleazar turned to smile at her, cocking his head to the side as he concentrated.

"Two humans who already have powers; this is our lucky day!" He shook her hand as well, still smiling and I felt my jaw drop, looking over at Carlisle.

We were all walking to the main house, now. Emmett was showing off by carrying all the luggage balanced on the top of his head which had Bella and Bree giggling. Eleazar, Carlisle and I continued to discuss the finer points of vampire talents, especially excited about Bree's mirroring and what it may translate to if she chose to be transformed into a vampire.

Tanya had prepared way more food than two humans needed and Rosalie and Emmett decided to go for a run to stretch their legs and hunt. Emmett was excited to be in bear country again and Rosalie wanted to ravage him in private. I groaned at that last thought and she glared at me, but I just laughed. I couldn't always help what I overheard in my family's minds and Rosalie was never apologetic about her love for Emmett.

Bree and Bella fit comfortably into our family, which warmed my unbeating heart. I wasn't really surprised, but seeing them get along so effortlessly made me smile. Bree would be sharing a room with Kate and I briefly felt grateful that Bree wasn't the odd man out for once.

The week passed quickly in a haze of outdoor activities – snowshoeing, skiing, and snowball fights – pretty much anything that involved snow and the family ganging up on Emmett. Saturday we loaded up the car again and began the drive home, and for the first time ever, I was actually sad to see Spring Break end.


	6. The Graduates

Chapter 5 - "The Graduates"

**BPOV:**

After Spring Break, school was a nightmare. The entire student body was polarized – Team Bree versus Team Tyler. I knew the first few weeks would be tough and that talk would constantly revolve around the trial and its verdict, but I don't think any of us were ready for the outbreak of violence it brought on.

I was glad Bree didn't stand alone – after her testimony, there were quite a few students who believed her, and were bitterly disappointed to see Tyler escape with a fairly "minor" punishment. It was weird to see the silent, peaceful Mecca of Forks turn into a war zone of sorts, though. Groups of friends were separated by the rift of different opinions, and one incident had even turned into an actual fist fight. Quiet Ben Cheney joined Team Bree in style, defending Angela against Tyler, who had been acting more and more aggressive toward Bree and all of her friends since the end of the trial. After a minute of screaming, Tyler lost it and threw a punch, and Ben jumped in front of Angela to make sure she was protected from the blow. He'd gotten a black eye, but he'd also gotten the girl – Angela and Ben have been together ever since, which came as a relief since Edward told me Angela had nursed a crush on Ben throughout her entire high school career. Bree probably could have gotten a restraining order against Tyler, who continued to make snide and rude, harassing comments to and about her every chance he got, but she said it wasn't worth the paperwork.

Bree had remained poised and seemed to have mellowed out since the trial. Instead of glowering at everyone around her, as she had before the incident, she just ignored everyone but the Cullens, Angela, Ben and myself..

She explained it simply,"Being angry takes a lot of negative energy. I'm focusing on my new life, and positive energy. I have friends, I have family and I've got a chance to start over in a new place and leave all of this behind me." She said oozing with confidence.

I attributed the new and improved, less-angry Bree to the new and improved, less-bitchy Rosalie. Those two were good for each other, Emmett said, and I had to agree. The entire family had noticed improvements in both of them.

Time seemed to drag toward graduation, as though the rational world didn't want to give Bree her new chance, but she rarely seemed ruffled unless she was making one of her frequent attempts to quit smoking. "I totally quit smoking, again," she'd announce after a few days, grinning sheepishly as she lit another cigarette. "I mean, I've quit smoking at least 20 times!"

A few weeks before graduation, Edward surprised me with a gigantic red box with a white bow. I looked at him for a second, distracted by his breathtaking grin, before I noticed the box moving in my hands. I nearly dropped it, but he steadied my hands, helping me place the box on our bed at his house. I looked at him nervously for a moment before I tore off the bow and pulled the top off. A pure white, fluffy face looked back at me for a moment before a puffball exploded from the box, sniffing me excitedly and barking.

"A puppy?" I exclaimed, giggling as the little thing licked my hand and tried to jump up at my face.

"An Alaskan Husky – I thought it was time to get in to the Alaskan spirit and pick the first new member of our family in Fairbanks. There was a family giving them away in Port Angeles and I thought we could give her a good home. Do you like her?"

I smiled hugely, scooping the delicate thing into my arms, kissing the top of her head. "I love her! What should we name her? I've never been able to have a pet – Charlie's allergic to cats and dogs, and Renee was so scatterbrained I couldn't trust her to remember to feed herself, let alone a helpless animal."

Edward laughed, having met Renee once and witnessing her only real attempt at cooking when we visited her in Jacksonville. That was the first time I'd met the local fire department and the first time I'd seen Edward anything other than fearless – not that I could blame him, since fire was one of the few things that _could _harm him. After that, I cooked or Phil picked up pizza for the remainder of the weekend.

"I could see that being a bit of a problem, yes, but now you have one and you can name her anything you like. How about Snowflake?"

I laughed, which caused the little monster to crawl into my lap and enthusiastically lick my face. I pushed her off of me, laughing, and she wobbled around on her unsure feet, nudging my hand and lap with her nose.

"Snowflake? That's such a _lame_ pet name, Edward. I want to name her something pretty. How about..." my voice trailed off as I thought about what I'd name a child if I had one. "How about Sophie? I've always loved that name, and it's cute and fun just like our little nudger here."

"Hmm," Edward picked up the puppy, scratching behind her ears and smiling as her leg involuntarily jiggled with pleasure. "I think Sophie is a great name, but we have to go show Alice, now. She's been dying to tell you since I picked her out, but I wanted to wait until we were alone. Emmett's been feeding her for the past couple of days so I think he wants to be named godfather." I laughed as I imagined Emmett and Sophie snuggling on the couch, or running around in the yard.

"That can be arranged, so long as your family promises not to eat her – vegetarians, indeed! Sophie is officially hands off!" We both laughed as Alice materialized in the doorway, looking put out. "Oh calm down, Alice – I was kidding and we were about to come find you." I held Sophie out to Alice, who immediately scooped the puppy up, holding her cradled like a baby and rubbing her tummy. I tried not to smile, but it seemed to me that all the Cullen women had a strong maternal instinct.

Emmett came bounding in and tried to snatch the pup from Alice, who hissed at him. I laughed and yawned, sitting back down on the bed – it looked like our little Sophie had a godmother, too. Edward eyed me for a minute before ushering Alice and Emmett out of the room. I knew all of Sophie's things were in Emmett and Rosalie's room, so I didn't mind her sleeping in there. Besides, I'd faked the yawn – I had my own idea of how the night would go, and it didn't involve sleeping.

June 5th.

I was _finally_ graduating high school – I'd be escaping small town life with the love of my life. Finally, I could move on. I would miss Charlie, but I was excited for college and it was all planned out. I'd get a degree in English Literature and Edward and I were planning to get married right after college. The idea of marriage made me a bit worried, but I'd promised Edward we'd get married before he turned me. I was finally settling the details of the rest of my life – a life that would just be a lot longer than I had originally planned.

Alice had insisted on doing my hair and makeup before sneaking out of my house. It was a brilliant sunny day, the kind that I'd celebrated before I met Edward. We were all bummed that the Cullens were missing graduation, mostly because it was the only time I would _really _graduate from high school, but it couldn't be helped. Edward and I were compromising on a handful of human experiences, including me attending both our high school and college graduations. I hated the idea of being older than him, but I knew he was right, and that there were human experiences I'd want to remember. If he had his way I'd be 80 before he turned me but there was no way in hell I was allowing that.

I was a little nervous – what if I tripped while walking across the stage in front of everyone? I'd demanded that Alice dress me in flats, but I knew there was still a window of opportunity for clumsiness to strike. Alice assured me that all would be fine, but I stubbornly refused to let her put me in anything with a long skirt or shoes with pointy toes. I have to admit, I was pretty pleased with her selection – a light blue dress with a slight ruffle around the bottom, with spaghetti straps and an empire waist. She paired it with white Mary Janes and a simple but pretty silver necklace. It seemed silly to be getting dressed up for a small town graduation ceremony, but she reminded me that there would be pictures of this night for the rest of my life, so I admitted defeat.

"Bells, are you ready to go? You're supposed to be at the school to line up in twenty minutes," Charlie called through the door. Alice winked at me as she ducked out the window – as far as everyone knew, the Cullens had been out of town for the past three days and wouldn't return until Tuesday. Angela expressed a little surprise that Edward and Alice were missing their own graduation, but everyone had gotten so used to the Cullens coming and going that no one questioned it extensively.

"Yeah, Dad," I said, opening the door. I saw his eyes widen in surprise when he saw me and I knew he was amazed that I had fixed my own hair and makeup. He _should_ be surprised – I couldn't even straighten my hair without Alice's help and he knew it.

"What?" I asked, mock-offended. "Alice has been teaching me some of her worldly ways, Dad. Stop looking at me like I have three heads."

Charlie had the decency to blush a little before grinning at me. "You're right and she's done a wonderful job – you look real nice, Bells. Are you ready to go?"

I simply nodded before making my way down the stairs and out to the front yard. I headed for the cruiser, but Charlie smiled and held open the door to my truck. "I know the cruiser embarrasses you a little, Bells. I thought maybe we'd take the truck today. Do you want to drive or do you want me to drive?"

I smiled before pulling my keys out of my purse and tossing them to him. I'd forgotten that my dad was sharper than I gave him credit for – it seemed very little escaped his attention, at least when he was awake.

"You can drive, Ch-- Dad. Just be nice to my girl and don't forget that you have to double pump the clutch." I climbed into the passenger side, feeling strangely at home – Edward always insisted on driving when we were together, even though my truck could only go 55 miles per hour. He was dying to buy me something sleek and fast, but I'd grown attached to my truck. After a few near-arguments, he finally dropped it.

"Are you okay, Bells? You seem a little quiet compared to the girls who were in town this morning – I thought I was going to go deaf with all the squeals about graduation." He laughed, keeping his eyes on the road as he turned the antique radio down to talk to me.

"I'm fine, Dad. You know I'm not really the squealing type. Mostly I'm worried I'll trip and fall off the stage in front of everyone. You know me," I replied, fiddling with the ruffle on my dress.

I mostly missed Edward, but I knew better than to mention that. He had gone out of town with his brothers to hunt a couple of days ago and, while he called me several times a day, it was hard not being able to see him.. We'd become so inseparable that any time apart caused me to miss him.

"Yeah, and thank God for that. You're not the typical high school girl, Bells, which is why I'm glad you aren't in high school any more. I'm going to miss you, all the way in Alaska, but I know you're going to do great things." He smiled a bit self-consciously, his cheeks coloring a bit, but I was still touched. Charlie and I weren't the heart-to-heart type, but his love and support never failed to astound me.

"Thanks, Dad. It's really great to hear you say that and Alaska is closer to you than it is to Mom – I can come home for holidays and stuff." I was trying not to let him see the tears shining in my eyes, even though they were happy. Neither of us did well with overt shows of emotion.

The rest of the ride was quiet but a few minutes later we turned into the parking lot and I knew exactly what he meant about the squeals. Jessica ran up to me, practically screaming as she bounced up and down in excitement.

"Hi Bella! Can you believe it's _finally _graduation day?" I was a little startled that she'd chosen to talk to me – since the party and Tyler's trial, we hadn't exactly been best friends. She was always polite, but we both knew our relationship had changed. I knew it was probably just excitement over graduation, but I figured it wouldn't do any harm to be kind in return. Charlie waved at me and put the truck into gear, heading off to park before finding a seat inside. The parking lot was fuller than normal, so people were parking on an empty field beside the school. I turned to Jessica, smiling slightly.

"I know, Jess – it feels like I moved here just yesterday, and now everyone's headed all over the country. It's weird to realize it's only been two years."

"Well, you fit in right away, and your dating Edward has even gotten the elusive Cullens to talk to everyone else. I think you're a good influence on them!"

I bit my lip to keep from telling Jessica the truth; that the Cullens still had no desire to mingle, but knew that with Edward and I dating it'd be more noticeable if they were distant from "polite society." Their distaste for the general population had only increased since Tyler's trial, so we still all hung out at the Cullen house, alone, whenever we could.

"I think they've been a good influence on me – Alice and I went shopping last weekend, and you know how I hate shopping!" I felt stupid, chattering on about whatever inane things popped into my mind, but I wanted to retain some degree of normalcy until it was time to leave town. I saw Bree and smiled and waved, laughing when she nodded in Tyler's direction and rolled her eyes – he was glaring at her with a murderous expression. I shrugged and she smiled, putting in her ipod headphones, and closing her eyes. I knew I'd see her after the ceremony, so I turned my attention back to Jessica.

"Wow, did you buy anything cool? Where'd you go?" Jess giggled and nudged my arm and I felt a strange affection for her, even though she was Team Tyler. She was the first person to befriend me in Forks, and she'd unknowingly told me a lot about Edward. Without her, and the information she had given me, I may never have had the nerve to get to know him.

"Well, I got my dress," I smiled, pulling open my ugly polyester robes to show her. "I spent a little more than I normally would, but Alice said it's a classic look that won't go out of style. We found it at that little funky second hand shop on Main Street in Port Angeles." I did a little twirl, grinning as I felt myself swept up into the graduation excitement despite myself.

"Oh man, that is so cute! Very vintage pinup girl, and your hair and makeup look so cute, too! I would have thought Alice would have you in something...really girlie and modern." I laughed, agreeing with her as Mr. Berty shuffled us into a line to start the procession.

"I think she would have, but we made a compromise. I demanded only two hours of shopping and nothing pink, and she demanded that I expand my budget a bit and at least try on some high heeled shoes." I looked down at my flats, smiling. "Obviously I tried them on but refused to buy them. I can hardly walk as it is."

Jess laughed until Mr. Berty glared at us and the line around us started to hush. I felt my palms break out in a sweat as I waited to start walking, telling myself that if I was really lucky, everyone would leave by the time my name was called. I knew it was stupid, but somehow it made me feel a little better. I clicked my heels together, rocking back and forth slightly, which was a nervous habit I'd picked up from Jasper, of all people. He said it was something he'd done when he was human and had continued the habit once he became a vampire in an attempt to fidget and look normal.

The line began slowly moving to the band's haphazard and slightly off-key version of _Pomp and Circumstance,_ and after what seemed like the blink of an eye, I entered the gym, which had been decked out in crepe paper and balloons. Charlie was waving at me, sitting with his friend Billy Black and Billy's son, Jacob. I didn't know him well, but he seemed like a nice guy, so I smiled and waved back when they called my name, blushing scarlet.

The ceremony seemed pretty cut and dry. Eric Yorkie, the valedictorian, gave a speech about new beginnings, which I tuned out even though I'd soon get a fresher start than anyone could possibly imagine. I let my mind wander, thinking about seeing Edward and the rest of the Cullens tonight. I'd told Charlie I was staying at Angela's, and Alice told me she'd warn me if he decided to follow up on it, so I was using the opportunity to sleep at Edward's.

I finally snapped back to reality when the principle started calling the names and Mrs. Cope fumbled to hand him the right diploma. After a few minutes he called my name and I carefully ascended the steps to the stage. I counted my footsteps, staring at the floor, until I reached him, smiling half heartedly and shaking his hand for the camera. I held the railing as I walked back to my chair, still carefully watching my feet, sighing with relief when I finally filed back into my row and sat down. After a few more minutes I stood up with the rest of my classmates and pulled the ugly mortarboard off and threw it in the air, genuinely smiling.

Jess gave me a big hug and I wasn't surprised to see tears streaming down her face. In the surge of smiling family and friends coming down to greet their new graduates, I found Bree and gave her a big hug. She was just as excited as I was to escape the small mindedness of Forks and start over with the Denalis in Alaska. Jessica offered her a tentative smile, which Bree unenthusiastically returned without any harsh words. I knew Jessica had a good heart, but Bree had seen nothing but unkindness from Team Tyler, so I couldn't blame her for her wariness.

Mike Newton approached us cautiously, smiling at me before turning to Bree. "Hey, Bree. I just wanted to apologize to you for the way I've been acting the past few months," he said, his face beat red. Mike and Jessica had never been directly rude to Bree that I knew of, but I knew their unwavering support of Tyler had hurt her more than she'd admit. "I just wanted to tell you that before we left. I know you probably don't believe me, but I never had a problem with you." Jessica nodded enthusiastically, agreeing with him and offering Bree another small smile.

Mike turned to me before continuing. "I'm sorry for the way I've been acting to you too, Bella. You're a great girl and I'm glad I met you. Maybe I'll see you around this summer before we both leave." I doubted it, but I couldn't bring myself to wipe the hopeful expression off his face.

"Maybe we will. You're a good guy, Mike. It's time to move on from the past. I hope you like it in Boulder. Maybe I'll see you at Christmas." I wasn't sure why I was being so forgiving today, but it felt like the right thing to do.

Bree didn't say anything, but Mike seemed to take her lack of screaming expletives as a good sign. He offered her a hand, which she looked at for a long moment before taking it and shaking it, then offering Jessica the same. I smiled, hoping that the long road of healing had begun, before I saw Bree's face. Instead of glaring at Jessica and Mike she was looking over my shoulder, her eyes narrowed as Tyler made his way toward us. Mike and Jessica bristled, looking very uncomfortable – I was starting to wonder if Tyler's recent aggressive behavior in school had made them doubt his innocence and prompted the apology to Bree.

"I lost my scholarship to Washington State, thanks to the 'questionable behavior' clause." Tyler's voice was low and quiet, but heavy with venom as he slowly walked toward us, his eyes sharp. "I have to register as a sex offender because of you. I have no future, because of you, you stupid, lying bitch!" By the time he reached us, his voice was louder and the gym was silent. Charlie was making his way over to us, but the rest of the crowd seemed stunned and unable to move.

"A life for a life, Bree. You ruined mine. Now I get to take yours." Before anyone could move Tyler raised his arms from his side, the baggy graduation robes falling back to reveal a shiny black gun, pointed straight at us.


	7. The Good, the Bad, and the Volturi

Chapter 6 – "The Good, the Bad and the Volturi"

**EPOV:**

We'd been home a few hours when Alice came running into the living room, screaming. I stood up, knocking over the chessboard where Jasper and Carlisle were playing, leaping across the couch to meet her in the doorway. Her mind was already racing with images, fuzzy and inconsistent. I steadied her shoulders and held her face in my hands as I closed my eyes to concentrate on the visions.

_A long line of graduates stood in front of their plastic chairs, smiling up at a sea of hats falling through the air. Some turned to hug each other, others just stood with goofy smiles on their faces. After a moment the crowd began to disperse – graduates looking for friends and family in the crush, parents looking for their graduates, underclassmen trying to say goodbye to their friends. _

_The images were blurry, looking almost as though I was watching a movie fast-forwarded through the boring parts. Tyler stood apart from the crowd, yelling something I couldn't hear before pointing a gun at Bree, who stood frozen._

Alice's vision broke off as Bree reeled backwards, falling against a group of students. I stood staring into her eyes, watching her shake as Jasper wrapped his arms around her. Rosalie threw the magazine she'd been reading at my head, snapping us out of the reverie, staring at us and obviously expecting an explanation of what Alice had seen.

"Tyler Crowley is going to shoot Bree after graduation."

The words hung in the air for a full second before Rosalie leaped to her feet, running toward the door. She was tackled by Emmett and Carlisle, who pinned her to the floor while yelling for Esme to join us in the living room. I could hear Carlisle's thoughts bouncing around faster than I'd ever heard before. Some were frantic with worry for Bree, battling against the thoughts that logically reminded him how sunny it was outside – we couldn't crash into the gym without giving ourselves away.

"What are you waiting for? We have to stop this!" Rosalie screamed at us to let her go, but Emmett, looking like he wanted to cry, tightened his arms around her waist. Comprehension dawned in Rosalie's eyes and she thrashed harder, still screaming. "Fuck the rules! We can't let her die!" She glanced around the room, taking in everyone's apprehension before looking straight at me. "You're such a hypocrite, Edward – if it were Bella you'd already be out the door. What makes Bree less worth saving?"

I winced at the mere thought of Bella being in danger, but tried to consider it objectively. Would I risk exposing my entire family to save Bella? I internally debated for what felt like hours, but was perhaps only seconds.

"I didn't see you pausing to think when you exposed us all, at school, the day Bella nearly got squished by Tyler's van!" Rosalie's normally beautiful face was twisted in fury.

She turned to Esme."And you – you say you'll do anything to protect our family. Bree is our family. She's _been_ a part of our family. Would you sit here and do nothing if Edward were the one in trouble?"

Jasper and I both winced as shame and hurt radiated from Esme, her thoughts not even forming complete sentences as she began to cry in dry sobs. Carlisle wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, but his thoughts were still expressing his inner turmoil. Not even Jasper's attempts could dampen the utter panic that had enveloped us all.

"What about…covering up?" Emmett looked at Alice, his arms slightly relaxing against Rosalie, who had stopped thrashing and started crying along with Esme. "I don't know, we can dress up in silly costumes and say it was a family prank? She's right, Alice – we can't just let this happen."

Alice frowned for a moment, her lips twitching side to side as she cocked her head and thought about Emmett's request. "From what I can see, if we decide to go, we're going to have to do some major cover up. Leaving won't be enough. We'll have to face the Volturi. I can't think of a single instance that won't push us from the 'bunch of freaks' level to the 'oh God, what the hell are they?' level. And with Demetri in the guard, we'd pretty much be committing ourselves to a life on the run." Alice's eyes found Rosalie's, begging for some form of understanding.

Rosalie's face crumpled for a split second before she wrenched herself from Emmett's grasp, just as Alice saw a vision of her dashing from the house. Neither of us moved to stop her, though, and we exchanged a knowing glance – it looked like Alice and I were going to keep that vision a secret. The whole family tore after her, foregoing cars and running to the school in a matter of moments.

I knew that Rosalie had a maternal edge, but the frantic edge to her thoughts was making me nervous as we tore through the woods toward the high school. The sun was sneaking through the trees, sending arching rainbow beams bouncing from one family member to another, and Carlisle worried again about our exposure. Alice and I both nearly plowed into trees as a grainy vision flitted through her mind – Tyler had just grudgingly accepted his diploma and trudged back to his seat, looking dejected, his thoughts murderous.

After a few minutes of intense running, we broke through the field at the edge of the school. The doors to the auditorium were open to the sunshine, allowing fresh air into the stuffy gym. I was hit with a hundred thoughts at once, trying to sort through them to see if everyone was okay. It was quiet outside and the drone of the principal calling out names was steady inside, so I assumed nothing had happened.

"Rosalie. If we do this, we're all accountable for our exposure," Jasper rasped, sounding nervous. "We have a few minutes, according to Alice's vision, and we need to think of a plan of action. If we just go bursting in there, we'll have to face the Volturi." He swept his blond hair out of his eyes, reaching a hand out for Alice's without thinking.

"Oh, but you are already going to have to face that fate, dear ones."

Three tall figures in black robes approached us, heavy hoods adorning their faces with nothing but dull, glowing red eyes showing. Four more figures approached, each in a dark gray cloak but with the hoods down. I didn't recognize their faces. One was female, slight in form with blond hair. The other three were male, ranging from tall and lanky to hulking and huge. I saw the youngest male take the girl's hand and they approached the black hooded figures slowly. They stood in the shadow of the tree line to our left, and I was ashamed to say I was startled. There had been so much activity in the gym and I'd been so distracted that I hadn't heard their thoughts as I should have.

Carlisle took a step forward, his jaw twitching. I'd never seen him so agitated.

"Aro, Marcus, Caius. To what do we owe the pleasure of having you and your guard here in Forks?" I tensed at the names, knowing them only from Carlisle's thoughts and memories.

"_The Volturi – they're here because they know about Bella and Bree." _I tried not to flinch at the worry in his mind, working hard to keep my face blank and straight.

"Well, it's a funny little thing, Carlisle," the tallest figure said, sweeping off his hood to reveal sallow skin, even paler than a normal vampire's. "It seems that some nomad acquaintances of mine went through Denali, Alaska on their travels, and as is customary, they visited the largest local coven. I believe you know Tanya and her family? They share your eating habits," his voice trailed off, looking inquiringly at Carlisle, who nodded tersely.

"Yes, James told me he overheard them mentioning you and your two little talented human friends. It seems you've been spending quite a bit of time with them – enough, say, to introduce them to your extended family?" Aro's voice dripped with derision, and my long-dead heart clenched as I thought of his assumptions – that we had flagrantly disregarded the only rule of our kind – keep the secret. Rosalie snarled at him, her thoughts still in the gym behind us.

"I have to say I'm very disappointed in all of you, but you can imagine my delight at arriving on such a happy, celebratory day. I do believe several of you are graduating, again?" He smiled sarcastically before reaching a hand out to Carlisle. "Please forgive my rudeness, old friend. It is good to see you."

I'd never seen Carlisle make such a face before shaking someone's hand, especially another vampire, who wouldn't be surprised at his icy touch. Aro frowned at what he saw, and I cringed once again at the weight of the thoughts on his mind – he'd absorbed everything Carlisle had ever thought, including everything we knew about Bree and Bella.

"So, it's true. You have shown our secret to two humans and were risking exposure to dozens of others mere moments before we got here." He turned to Alice, looking grim. "Please show me your vision, my dear – perhaps there is something we can do to help without risking us all."

Alice looked shocked at his offer of help, but looked to Carlisle, who nodded. She hesitantly stepped toward the strange, onion-skinned man, tentatively holding her hand forward. He took her hand gingerly, covering it with his other hand, bowing his head almost as if in prayer. Jasper was radiating anxiety, but said nothing, just kept a hand on the small of Alice's back.

Aro sighed softly and then reached his hands out to the two still-hooded figures beside him. They grasped his hands firmly and he closed his eyes for a moment before ending contact and stepping forward to all of us. Rosalie was still snapping her teeth, determined to make a break for it and rescue Bree. Aro seemed to sense her agitation and gestured to the burliest man behind him.

"Felix, please restrain this young lady. I am worried she'll dash away before we get our well-deserved explanation.

Rosalie thrashed and kicked, but she was no match for the hulking figure that wrapped his arms around her like a cold iron cage. Aro turned back to Carlisle, half-smiling. "Do forgive me, but we were forced to bring some of our most talented with us. It is not customary for the three of us to travel alone, and I know your Edward, Alice and Jasper are talented beyond my wildest dreams. Please, I urge you not to give us a reason to use our offensive powers – Alec and Jane here are quite the team."

The two youngest vampires, still holding hands, smiled in unison, looking almost like angels. Carlisle nodded curtly, before turning back to the three in black cloaks, smiling tightly. "We will not fight against you, Aro, but surely there is something we can do to help the humans inside. I'd rather none of them were hurt, but Bella and Bree are especially important to myself and my family."

The figures on Aro's sides shifted before pulling their hoods off. The one on the left had the same almost-translucent skin and dark hair, but the one on his right, the tallest of the three, had hair as white as corn silk. It reminded me of Lauren Mallory, and my thoughts instantly shifted back to the gymnasium behind us, teeming with excited students and parents.

The blond one spoke first, his voice dripping with disgust. I could visualize the venom literally saturating each word he spoke as he spat "Surely you would not suggest that we sully our hands with the mere dealings of humans, Carlisle? Not only would we risk exposure, but I am fairly certain none of them would risk their lives to save a cow or a chicken. Whatever you may think, that is our food source in that building, and they are vicious and violent creatures. Whatever we do to them could hardly rival what they do to each other and themselves. If one wishes to hurt the others, we will simply have to leave to resist the temptation of spilled blood."

Rosalie screamed so loud the sound seemed to bounce off the screams and the huge vampire holding her back had to shift his grip to keep his hold. Emmett growled in response and leaped at him, but before he came anywhere near them, he began to writhe and scream in agony. His thoughts were muddled – I could only make out that he was in severe pain, though I had no idea what the source.

"Jane, that's enough," the quiet dark haired man said, and Emmett immediately became still, lying on the forest floor. "It's only natural that he wishes to protect his mate. They have a strong bond, those two." His words trailed off and his eyes seemed to gaze unfocused into the distance.

"Yes, Master Marcus" the now-demonic Jane sang, her voice high and ringing to match her cherubic face. "I was only trying to help."

"Of course you were, dearest Jane, but perhaps we should take this conversation to a more private place." Aro gestured to the gym doors, which now held a few curious onlookers – mostly lower classmen that seemed to be standing at the back of the gym while watching the ceremony – wondering what had caused the noise.

"You're insane if you think I'm leaving with Bella and Bree in there!" I didn't even realize I was speaking until the words left my mouth and Carlisle gave me a warning glance. I knew I was toeing the line – the Volturi demanded a certain level of respect – but the idea of walking off and leaving Bree to die made me feel sick.

"Oh thank God, there clouds are coming!" Alice's voice cut off whatever retort Aro was about to make, and I saw a darkness dance in front of my eyes – a storm was rapidly approaching from the north and the clouds were quickly overcoming the sun in the sky. "It's still a few minutes off, Edward, but we should be able to move once everyone's meeting in the parking lot. I couldn't repress my sigh of relief as I ran closer to the edge of the forest. A cheer went up from inside the gym and I could hear the fluttering of dozens of graduation caps being thrown into the air and falling to the ground, but the sun was still stubbornly shining.

Carlisle turned to the tall blond, scowling deeply. "If you'll excuse us, Alice has just informed me that the weather is taking a turn for the worse and we have a crisis to avert. I'm sure you'll understand if we continue this conversation at our home, Cauis." As the words left his chilled lips the sun was finally partially obscured. Students and parents were pouring from various gym exits, coming closer to us and forming small clumps as they swarmed around the new graduates.

I saw Bella elbowing her way toward Bree, a smile on her face, and my heart seemed to patter for a moment as I allowed myself to drink in her beauty. Before I could even walk toward them, Tyler raised a gun and I heard a deafening bang. Rosalie screamed and tore herself from Felix's grasp, darting toward the small cluster of now screaming humans. I felt dizzy for a moment – something in the air smelled better than I'd ever imagined...floral, somehow. I knew I should move, but the scent was mesmerizing and delicious, and I found that I was somehow rooted to the spot.

"No!" Rosalie screamed, turning toward me with a panicked look. "Edward! Get over here! Carlisle!" I felt Carlisle brush past me. The humans were all screaming so loudly, and I couldn't hear any thoughts – I was consumed by the blood in the air. I'd been around blood before, why was it making my mouth water?

"_Edward, Jasper and I are leaving – he's about to snap and I don't think he can handle the blood. We love you and I'm so sorry."_

Alice's voice drifted through my head, clear as a bell, but still confusing. Rosalie and Carlisle were with Bree, right? Where was Bella? I couldn't see her... Emmett slapped me across the face, bringing me out of my thoughts but holding my shoulders so I couldn't get away.

"It's Bella, Edward. He shot Bella." I stared at him, still not understanding, distracted by the scent of freesia... Bella's smell. I smelled Bella's blood. Suddenly the thirst disappeared and I screamed in agony.

"Where is she? Bella!" I was sobbing tearlessly, fighting his grasp as the hulking Felix came over to help Emmett restrain me.

"Your gift, Alec – you have to use your gift. Take away her pain, please!" Carlisle's voice floated to my ears and I shook off the two huge vampires holding me and ran to Carlisle's side. I took her hand in mine, searching for life in here chocolate colored eyes. She focused on me briefly, reaching her other hand to touch my cheek.

"Bella, stay with me, please! Don't leave me," I begged, still sobbing. I couldn't tear my eyes from her, even to take in the sight of her scarlet blood blossoming across her chest. The remaining vampires had pushed the crowd of onlookers away from us, and Charlie and two other police officers who had been at the ceremony were in a heap on the ground, wrestling the gun away from Tyler, trying to neutralize the threat.

"You son of a bitch!" Charlie roared, punching Tyler twice in the face before one of the other officers pulled him off and he turned to us. Bree, who was also bleeding but on her feet, kicked Tyler twice before running over to us.

"Edward, you have to bite her. Turn her! It's what she wanted, you know it is!" Bree's voice was low but urgent, and without even stopping to think of the consequences I leaned over Bella's body and began to bite. Over and over again, with my family huddled around me to keep the humans from seeing, I bit my precious Bella, licking each wound to seal it shut. I inhaled deeply as I hovered over the wound in her chest before lifting my lips to kiss her softly and whisper "I love you." Bella's eyelids fluttered once, then twice, and she smiled weakly at me. She faintly whispered, "I will always love you," before she heaved a shuddering breath and closing her eyes and exhaling one last, choking gasp.

"No!" I screamed, turning wildly to Carlisle, who pushed me away and began performing CPR. "Do something, Carlisle!"

Bree pulled me into her chest, turning my head from the sight before me and I began to sob again. The world seemed to swallow me and I found myself focusing on the beating of Bree's heart, stopping only to sniff the gunshot wound on Bree's shoulder, looking concerned. "I'm fine, actually. I don't feel a thing," she whispered, rocking me as I felt another set of arms wrap around me, and felt Esme's thoughts in my mind.

"_Oh my Edward, what will he do? Where will we go? How will we ever recover from this terrible loss?"_

I tried hard to form the words to yell at Esme that Bella would be okay, but instead I just felt my body sag and I dropped off into oblivion.

"Edward, please wake up! Edward? Edward!" There was a loud voice in my ear, and so much yelling... I wished someone would make the yelling stop – it was hurting my ears. Why wouldn't she stop? I finally registered that it was Esme yelling my name and she wanted me to wake up; but I was a vampire – I wasn't asleep, was I?

"He's waking up, love, give him some room to breathe," Carlisle's voice came to me through my haze and I finally found the will to open my eyes. Esme was huddled directly over me and there was a strange red light bouncing off of the clouds – lights from an ambulance.

"Bella..." I whispered, looking up at Carlisle with pleading eyes.

"I'm sorry, Edward. She was bleeding too much – her heart stopped beating and couldn't pump the venom through her system. She's gone." His voice choked at the end, as he stared at me with eyes begging for forgiveness. "There was nothing I could do. Alec used his powers to make her as comfortable as she could be and she passed on in your arms. Edward. I'm so, so sorry."

"And...Bree?" I asked in a raspy voice, closing my eyes again and willing myself not to shatter into a thousand pieces. I had no idea my dead heart could fill with such pain.

"She was shot in the shoulder and she'll be okay. She's gone to the hospital. Edward, the Volturi are waiting at the house and we need to get back to them as quickly as possible. Charlie is with Bella now. He said he'd come by the house later to take statements from all of us once he's done here at the...scene of the crime..." Carlisle's voice trailed off and I ached when I saw the agony in his eyes.

"It's not your fault, Carlisle. Did anyone else get hurt?" He sighed, hanging his head and helping me to my feet, making sure I was steady before letting go of my arm.

"A few minor injuries from people running in a panic to get away from Tyler, but Bella and Bree are the only real victims. Bella was shot twice – I think she may have jumped in front of Bree at the last moment. She was so brave..."

I must have had one hell of a look on my face because Carlisle trailed off, looking frightened. I immediately felt chagrined and simply nodded. "She was brave, and loving, and kind. I have no doubt she'd sacrifice herself if she could save someone she loved."

"Anyway, Rosalie is coming to get us. In all the confusion, no one seemed to notice that we had no car here, thank goodness."

Over the years I'd become used to human aversion, but I found I'd never been more grateful for it. As Rose obnoxiously honked from Carlisle's dark Mercedes, the crowd parted in front of us like the red sea. The normally smothering voices of thoughts buzzing around in my mind were muted and I was only vaguely aware of the people surrounding the car, staring at us wide-eyed. For once I didn't have to work to keep my face carefully blank – I felt as though the entire world was gray now that my reason for existing had been snuffed out.

The ride home was silent and I was eternally thankful for my father and sister's silence. Rosalie drove even faster than normal, looking anxious. As we pulled into the green-lined driveway, Carlisle finally spoke. "The Volturi are inside, Edward. I know you want to be alone, but I must ask you to stand with us for a short while. Aro has assured Esme that he has no desire to interrupt our morning, no matter how odd he finds our affection for Bella and Bree. We are bound by custom to give them an explanation about Bella and Bree's knowledge of our existence."

I nodded curtly, ready to get it done with and seek a private audience with Aro myself. I knew that Alice had seen my decision, and I listened intently as I approached the door, but her thoughts were quiet.

"_I won't stop you."_

I sighed with relief, knowing I'd have to explain further, but sardonically pleased that she wouldn't interfere. I silently followed Carlisle to the living room, which was hushed and quiet. Alice stood near the foot of the stairs and ran at me, flinging her arms around me, sobbing tearlessly. Jasper quickly moved toward us, his face showing the inner agony he was absorbing from us. He placed his arms around us both, and before I knew it, I was surrounded by my entire family, a knot of hard flesh and anguished faces mirroring my grief.

After at least an hour we slowly broke apart, aware once again that we had guests sitting on the couch. The blond man, Caius, showed impatience in his thoughts, but the other two, Aro and Marcus, were baffled but compassionate. The quiet one, Marucs, spoke first.

"I am sorry for your loss, Cullens. The relationship between Edward and young Bella was amazingly strong; stronger than almost anything I've seen. I cannot pretend to understand, but I know the pain of losing a mate, Edward, and my heart breaks for you."

I stood stunned for a moment before responding to his words and the kind thoughts within his mind.

"Thank you, Marcus. I am sorry that you have any experience with this, but perhaps this experience you speak of will help you understand my request."

Carlisle looked at me questioningly but I couldn't meet his eyes.

"I want you all to know that I am the one that told Bella about our existence. By the time my family met her, she knew everything. I alone am responsible for breaking your laws. Therefore, I hope that you will honor one request – as punishment, I offer myself to you. I deserve to be destroyed for failing to keep the secret, but please do not punish my family. They did nothing wrong but support me in my desires to be with Bella."

The blond arched a brow, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "And the other human? Bree? What should we do with her, Edward? Are you taking responsibility for her knowledge, as well?"

Before I could answer, Rosalie stood, tall and fierce. "No. Edward told Bella because she had to know and I told Bree for the same reason. Our family had plans to turn them both. Alice, tell him."

Alice, looking anguished, slowly walked forward and held her hand out again to Aro. He took it with more confidence this time, smiling at what he saw, patting Alice's hand fondly before releasing it.

"Such a gift, to see things before they've come to be..." He turned to the other two and spoke quietly. "A conference, if we may, brothers? The young lady does not lie – it was planned to turn Bella without Edward's consent if he refused, and as Marcus has said, it is quite obvious that she was young Edward's mate. We should speak in private for a few moments before any hasty decisions are made. Perhaps there is somewhere private we could speak, Carlisle?"

"Certainly, Aro. Please use my study – if you keep your voices down, I can assure you no one, including Edward, will listen in. I'm fairly sure he's waiting to give us a piece of his mind, anyway. Quite the opposite, as he usually gets a piece of ours whether he wants to or not." Carlisle led the way to the third floor, speaking with the brothers for a moment before firmly closing the door behind him.

He was back with us in a flash, and the whole family surged forward, looking apologetic, ignoring the rest of our guests for the time being.

"Edward--" Alice began but I cut her off immediately.

"Save it, Alice. I cannot believe that you all planned to turn Bella behind my back!" I felt waves of soothing calm pass over me, but I was determined not to let it dampen my fury.

"Stop it, Jasper. I have _every_ right to be angry right now. How could you plan this without speaking to me?"

"Because you're _stupid_, Edward!" Rosalie burst out angrily. "Why are you so convinced you know what's best for everyone? Bella knew what she wanted and you vowed not to live without her. What we were supposed to do, quietly prepare for your death in the next 60 years?!"

"Yes! That's exactly what you were supposed to do!"

"And we're supposed to just let you walk away from us now, after all we've been through?" Emmett sounded mad and sad, but mostly reserved. Surprisingly, Alice answered him before I could.

"Yes."

Everyone turned to look at her, shocked and hurt. I avoided Esme's eye, knowing she felt her soul being ripped beyond belief, already having lost what she considered a daughter today.

"I've seen what Edward will become without Bella. I truly, honestly believe that he will never recover from this. But, I also honestly believe in Carlisle – Edward, you are far from soulless. You have one of the kindest hearts I've ever known and Bella was good and brave. She was your equal. So I believe this isn't the end."

I stood, staring at the faerie before me with glistening eyes and a sad but knowing smile.

A throat cleared behind us, and I turned to see the small blond girl sitting on the couch nod over at the doorway. The three brothers had returned and heard the end of our exchange, looking stoic.

"We were slightly wary about your request before, but it makes a bit more sense, now." Caius spoke slowly and deliberately, eying Marcus for a moment before continuing. "And young Alice is correct – I have seen how the death of a mate can forever change one of our kind. Therefore, Edward, we have decided to honor your request."

The silence in the room was stifling and I finally met Esme's eyes. My mother, my confidant and my friend were all reflected on her face and she closed her eyes for a brief moment before taking a deep breath and looking into my own. I saw the love I was sacrificing and it tore my heart in two, but she reached forward, taking my hand, and nodded once.

"Are there any affairs you need to take care of before we proceed, Edward?"

I thought for a moment, catching Carlisle's eyes. They were filled with sadness, but he spoke softly. "I'll take care of everything, Edward. We'll tell everyone you ran away in the night, insane with grief. It's not perfect, but I don't think you want to go through the trouble of faking a suicide and burial. Am I right?"

I nodded, turning to Rosalie. "Can you call Bree? I want to see her before... I go... if I can." She nodded and left the room, pulling her cell phone out of her pocket and dialing quickly. I turned my attention back to the rest of the room, seeking to spend a bit of time with each of my family members while I waited.

"Alice, can I speak to you first?" She nodded and we walked through the kitchen to the enclosed back porch that faced the river – one of our favorite places to sit and talk late at night, where we could see the stars.

I opened my mouth to speak, but Alice beat me to the punch.

"Don't, Edward."

"I have to."

"No, I know that. I meant don't even think of apologizing. I know how you're feeling, Edward. Once, before we found you, Jasper and I ran into a small coven of nomads. There were three of them, one of which decided he found me quite _desirable_. I'd never fought anyone, much less another vampire, and Jasper was provoked into fighting all three of them alone when I was out hunting.

I saw it the moment he sprang at them, but I couldn't get there in time. Edward, I arrived to find him in a heap of mangled flesh. He was alive, but barely. He'd ripped two of them apart and the last one ran off like a coward. I knew in that one instant before I knew he was alright, that I'd never be able to exist without him. I would do exactly what you're doing, Edward. I'll miss you terribly, but I can't fathom your life without Bella. If I asked you to stay, it'd be selfish and we'd all go crazy watching your misery."

She knelt before me, her tiny hands wrapping around mine, with a sad but determined expression.

"You're doing the right thing, Edward. I won't say it'll be easy for any of us, but we love you enough to let you go. You will always be with us, Edward. We'll never forget you, or Bella, or your love for each other."

Alice leaned forward and kissed me on the head, walking back into the house without looking back. I stared at the sky for a moment, knowing she was sending Jasper out next so they could escape and go hunting – the incredible sorrow in the house would drive Jasper insane if they tried to stay.

Jasper came on to the porch and sat next to me, silently putting a hand on my shoulder and offering me comfort without the benefit of his powers. Jasper, more than anyone in the family, understood loss.

"I'll miss you, man, but I think you and Bella will still have forever together." His voice was quiet, his slight drawl carrying in the cold night air, and we sat silently for a few minutes. Jasper and I had never spoken much, mostly understanding each other through our powers, and I appreciated the silence he offered. After about ten minutes he stood up, pulled me to my feet, and embraced me. I heard his sorrow in his head – he'd always liked Bella, though he found her hard to resist at times.

"Thank you, Jasper. Please – take care of the family."

"I will, man. You have nothing to worry about. Take care of Bella, and tell her we all love and miss her."

I had not often thought about Jasper's religious affiliation. I was surprised to find him so vehement about the idea of the afterlife, but then again – Jasper was always full of surprises.

"I'll send out Emmett next," Jasper said softly from the doorway, offering one last sad smile. I nodded and turned to look out at the sky again, counting the stars that I never would have been able to see with human eyes. A loud sniffle alerted me to Em's presence and I was soon engulfed in a huge bear hug that would have snapped my ribs if that were possible.

"Edward, I am so sorry. I keep thinking if I had just killed Tyler at the start of the year, this never would have happened, and then we could –"

I cut him off as soon as I could get a word in, literally slapping a hard, cold hand across his mouth.

"Look, Papa Bear – shit happens, right?" I smiled at the use of Emmett's favorite phrase and saw his lips twitch a bit at my unusual use of swear words.

"I know one thing, Em. Things happen for a reason. I'm not sure what the reasons are, but it's the same forces that brought Bella into my life. She woke me up from the longest sleep in history. She made me alive again. And I can't help but wonder if this is just... another step for me and her."

I saw a slight twinkle in Emmett's eyes as he nodded, before he crushed me in his arms again.

"It won't be the same without you. Just... watch over us, okay? Wherever you end up."

I nodded, unable to form more words past the lump in my throat. He slapped me hard on the back and went into the kitchen, calling for Carlisle. He and Esme came out together. I felt momentarily unsure I could face her, since she seemed to be going to pieces but she took one look at me and stood up straighter.

"You listen to me, Edward Anthony Masen Cullen. You are the bravest, most loving person I have ever known and I am devistated that you're leaving us." I tried to respond but she held a finger up and gave me a look that plainly said _don't you dare interrupt me!_

"And... I just want you to know that you will be with us always. We are so very proud of you. Please, give Bella our love and tell her we will never forget her."

My eyes widened for a moment before Carlisle stepped forward and clasped my shoulders in his hands. "I'm sorry I couldn't save her, Edward... but please, tell her thank you for saving you. She was such a joy to us and we are so blessed to have known both of you."

My face started to crumble as I began to sob again, but I choked out the words "Thank you both for everything. For saving me. For loving me. For sticking with me until I found her. For understanding. You will be with us as well, wherever we are. I will never forget."

I embraced them both briefly, fearful that if I stayed too long I would chicken out. They both seemed to sense my hesitation and stepped away, dropping my hands with reluctance. Before they'd even disappeared from view I was hit by a warm bundle in my chest, surprised to find Bree's arms securely wrapped around my waist.

"Rosalie picked me up and I just... I was scared I wouldn't get to see you before you... and... I just want to say thank you, Edward." I dropped my head into her hair and breathed deeply, reveling in the essence and smells that made her so very human. I knew she wasn't Bella, but she was still one of my best friends and I would miss her terribly.

"Is it true? Are you going to become one of us?"

Bree was silent for a minute before nodding, her cheek still pressed firmly to my t-shirt. "Rosalie said she'd change me. I feel kind of selfish, asking her to do it soon, but... I mean I know I can never replace you or Bella, but this is more family then I've ever had."

"What about your parents?" I gently pulled us down on to the wicker sofa, settling her in my lap, enjoying her warmth.

"Like they'll even notice. I was planning to spend the summer in New Orleans with some friends, so I'll just call like I'm down there. Then I'll be off to college in Alaska, or so they think. Eventually I'll just stop calling. It's not like we talk much, anyway," her voice trailed off and I sensed her sadness.

"I just wanted to say goodbye. I know you can't live without her. She'd do the same if something had happened to you. I cannot thank you enough for befriending me, Edward. I just..." she started to tear up, her eyes already red from crying all evening.

"I just want you to know that I'll take good care of everyone. I won't let anything happen to any of them."

With that, she squeezed me tight for a moment, sobbing into my chest, then kissed my cheek and ran into the house.

Rosalie sighed behind me, the last of my goodbyes. We sat in silence for a few minutes, not knowing what to say. For decades, there had been no love lost between Rosalie and I, but Bree had given us common ground.

"I never knew what you saw in her. She was mousy, plain, ordinary. Boring. But the more I got to know Bree, the more I saw the beauty in Bella. It was quiet and understated, but it was there. She showed strength, grace and courage. She was loyal and kind to the one person in this town who truly deserved it. And I was blind for not seeing it sooner.

I wish I'd spent less time antagonizing you and more time getting to know you. I know you think I'm some vain idiot, but I clung to the very things I criticized Bella for. I was clinging to the only humanity I still knew, while I criticized her out of jealousy.

I'm sorry, Edward. I'm sorry that I never understood you and now I have to say goodbye. I'm sorry about making Bella uncomfortable, when the only thing she was guilty of was loving you uncontrollably. I'm sorry that you lost her and have to go to such great lengths to find her again."

I sat for a minute, formulating my thoughts.

"I'm sorry I didn't run out the door with you the moment I knew Bree was in trouble, Rosalie. It's not that she meant nothing to me. I was just scared."

It felt so feeble. It was such a lame excuse, but it was the truth.

"I was too, Edward. And you were thinking rationally. I understand. I'm sorry things worked out the way that they did. I can't bring myself to be mad at you, given everything that's happened. And... I just want you to know that if Bella had been the one in Alice's vision, I'd have done the same thing. You made her such a great part of this family."

We sat still again. I was listening for thoughts from the Volturi, but I didn't sense any impatience on their part – Esme and Alice were regaling them with tales from our life in Alaska, and Aro found Emmett chasing bears quite amusing, especially when Jasper did a particularly exuberant impression of him roaring and chasing a grizzly.

"Just promise me one thing, Rosalie?" She cocked her head to the side, looking at me with curiosity, then nodded.

"Continue your therapy sessions with Carlisle and Bree. I think they're really, really important. You may even look into working with a battered women's shelter, or doing rape counseling for teenagers. You are a great and strong woman, Rose. You could share so much, and be such a help to the people who are suffering in this world. You're amazing, and I am so glad I had you to help me through these past decades."

Her mouth dropped open in shock before she threw her arms around me, squeezing me almost as tight as her husband had.

"You're the best brother I never asked for, Edward." She gave a weak chuckle and tugged me to my feet, sensing it was time to move forward.

The living room got quiet again when we entered, but I smiled at everyone in the room before nodding to Aro.

"How is this going to work? Who will tear me to pieces?" The words trailed off a whisper, but of course everyone heard.

"I will," the burly brown haired man said.

"But I'll numb you before it begins," the slight, young-looking vampire said in a quiet voice. "Unless you prefer to feel the pain of Felix's strength?"

I looked at Aro, unsure if it would still count as punishment if the pain were taken from me. He nodded before speaking. "We've all agreed the grief in your heart is more than enough of a punishment, Edward. Your entire family is suffering and we've agreed that another breach in protocol will not come from the Cullen family. There is no sense in increasing your pain. You are free to choose as you wish."

I looked at Carlisle, unsure of what I wanted. "Bella died without pain, you said?"

Carlisle nodded, looking somber. "Alec assured me that he focused on her and Bree both after the shots, eliminating their pain."

Alec nodded, looking grim. "I'm afraid being numb is not always completely pleasant, but I figured, given the alternative, it would be welcome."

Bree nodded from her place between Rosalie and Emmett near the fire place. "Thank you, Alec. Without your gift I wouldn't have been able to come see Edward off."

They made it sound like I was going on a vacation. Alec merely nodded, still holding hands with the little blond vampire. "Jane and I don't often get to use our gifts for the greater good. I am happy to have helped in a small way."

The young girl squeezed his hand and took a step forward, releasing him and eying me curiously. "I do not know you, Edward Cullen, but I wanted to tell you that I think you are exceptionally brave."

The Volturi themselves looked shocked for a moment before Aro burst into delighted laughter. "My dear Edward, I do not think you understand the gravity of that compliment – my dearest Jane hasn't said anything that nice in nearly a century!"

Jane scowled and looked slightly embarrassed, stomping back over to her twin and sitting on the couch in a huff. I couldn't help but smile, hearing her thoughts whirl about my head. _"How dare they?!"_ was a common theme.

"Thank you, Jane. I don't think it's a question of bravery – only survival."

"Then perhaps, we should make the final arrangements. Felix, Alec, Caius?" The three men stepped forward, and Carlisle walked forward with me, taking my hand. We silently went out to the small clearing behind the house.

"I'm so sorry, Edward. You will always be with us in our hearts." I slowly made my way around my family one last time, hugging, smiling, kissing, before I stepped forward in front of Felix. I could tell he didn't want to do this, but would follow the instructions of his masters.

My body suddenly went numb, and I could see, feel, and hear nothing. I smiled one last time, surprisingly serene and peaceful. I whispered, "I love you all," before I sensed a flash of flame, and next, there was nothing.

**A/N It was just as hard to write it as to read it. I'm sorry.**


	8. Epilogue

_Epilogue_

**BPOV:**

"_I told you so."_

"_Yes, I know, love, and you and Carlisle were absolutely right. I was wrong, and I couldn't be happier."_

"_You never listen to me! As if something as beautiful as you could lack a soul, Edward. It's absurd to even consider it."_

"_Yes, dear."_

I sensed we'd be having this conversation for a very, very long time. For eternity, if we were lucky.

Dying is easy. Living is hard. I wasn't sure what I'd do without Edward and then he was here. Time is funny here in Dixieland – we're not sure what to call it, other than home, so we've nick named it. Everything here is beautiful, but it's definitely a whole new world. This world is ethereal. It's not completely without color, but nothing seems as vibrant as the world we watch below us.

My heart ached for the Cullens and for my parents. My first days here my heart broke every time I saw them sob, every time Charlie eyed his gun with personal intentions. Edward was always there to hold me, to calm me down, to let me cry on his shoulder. This isn't what I imagined heaven to be like – I never thought angels cried as they observed our comings and goings, our happiness and pain, but I never fail to be moved by life passing by my very eyes.

I'm not sure I'd be so happy here without Edward. While I ache for a world without him in it, I'm selfish enough to require a land with him by my side. The family was slowly healing and I knew everyone would be okay. They'd never forget us – but we'd never leave them.


End file.
